Brendan Rodgers has urged his players to ignore the recent slump by title rivals Rangers, and warned them that they can’t afford to ‘soften up’ in the final few weeks of the season, despite the Ibrox club dropping points twice in the past week.

Rangers have lost to Ross County and drawn with Dundee since Celtic’s win over St Mirren last Saturday, meaning that Rodgers’ side ended the week three points clear at the top of the Premiership table with the teams now having all played the same number of fixtures.

With five league games still remaining though – including a Celtic Park meeting with Rangers – and a Scottish Cup semi-final to contend with against Aberdeen at Hampden tomorrow to contend with, Rodgers doesn’t want his players to lose their focus by worrying about what their rivals are doing.

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When asked if the Rangers results over the past week had given his men a lift, Rodgers said: “Not really. Our focus has always been on ourselves. I made that point to the players.

“Irrespective of what happens or what other results [are] or the way it goes for other teams, we can only do our work. Because you can’t soften up, especially at this time, just because another team might have drawn or lost. That’s irrelevant.

“You have to perform and get the result. If you come off it against teams who are motivated and organised, then they can give you a problem.

“So, for us, we have to continually focus on our own performance - irrespective of what happens elsewhere, because we have to create our story.

“And for that, we have to work at it. Hopefully that will be the storyline come the end of the season.”

With the Rangers players appearing to crack under the pressure of the title race over the past week, though, Rodgers has been emphasising how vital it is for his own men to handle the weight of the situation they are now immersed in.

“It's everything,” he said.

“Self-control is what you need in this high-stakes, high-pressure environment. And it's needed none more so when you are under pressure.

“That's when your poise and experience comes into it. So, you need to be able to do that at a club of this size.”

With the form they have shown of late, he is confident they are doing just that, and peaking at the right time. But Rodgers is hammering home the message that the job is far from done.

“Listen, we haven't won anything yet,” he said.

“We are in a semi-final, which is great, we are improving, and the performance level is showing that. “I demand more from the team and I will push right until that last whistle of the season. But for me, it's part of a league campaign - you will not play 38 games at the very highest level.

“You are going to have dips and waves, but your strength is how you shift that. That's the real strength in those moments, whenever it isn't going quite well, can you shift it and get the team back on track?

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“And the players have been absolutely brilliant. They have had to dig in at lots of moments this season and get results. But we just chipped away and stayed focused on our game model and how we play, and whenever influential players come back in, then all the pieces come together again and the fluidity of the team is much better.

“You can never have doubt, and the more we work together, on and off the pitch, it all feels that everyone is on the same page.”

Rodgers will still be without Daizen Maeda for tomorrow’s trip to Hampden, and the Celtic manager was unable to provide any further clarity on whether the winger will be able to play again this season.

“We just have to see over the remainder of the weeks left to see if he plays any part, but he certainly won’t be tomorrow,” he said.

“Liam Scales is back available which is really good news.”