Here's everything Clement said ahead of his side's meeting with Hibs.

Can we get an update on the players who have had problems?

I will say the players who are back in training. So that is Dujon back in training, Kieran Dowell is back in training, Abdallah Sima is back in training and Ross McCausland is back in training. The guys who are out are Ridvan, Ryan Jack, Oscar and Danilo.

Is Ridvan a long or short term injury?

It is not going to be long, long term. We are going to see next week. There is a possibility he can be fit for next week, but it is still a doubt. We will see next week to make more information about that.

Are they all in contention for this week?

They are in contention but, of course, not to play 90 minutes. Then it is to make choices, can they only play 15, 20 minutes? We cannot have four or five players like that on the bench so we need to take that into account and make good choices around that.

Are you thinking about the significance of the game next weekend as you manage the minutes of those players?

Yeah but it is not because it is against Celtic. It is always like that. We are focused on the next game and getting a result but it is a longer term plan also with the players. I never risk players, not when we play Dumbarton or next weekend. It is always long term. I never play with the safety of my players. Of course at the end of the season you can have a decisive game that you make a gamble together with your medical staff and players. That can happen. During the season not.

How happy are you that Abdallah could play a part in the run in?

It is important of course but he has been a long time out and you cannot expect miracles from the start. He has shown his quality, he has his power and pace. He has the appetite for goals and he came back in a good way for the training. That is positive. It is now building rhythm again, making him stronger again and then he is going to play an important part I think in these last two months.

Is it positive news that there will be fans at the Old Firm fixtures from next season?

For me, yes. For sure. I think everybody loves football with two sides of fans who sing against each other or sing towards each other and to have this atmosphere. Nobody enjoyed the Covid period when there were no fans, that was really difficult, it was hard. For me it was also really strange to play at Celtic Park without supporters for us. It was the first time for me and a strange experience. I think everybody, every player, every manager, wants both sides in the stadium. Football is about that, it is entertainment from two teams. It is a positive thing for myself.

How did the derbies in Belgium in your career differ from the one at Celtic Park?

Not that much because you are focused on your team and the game. But you want to hear them, you want to feel them. I am sure the other managers want it also. It is part of football, part of our lives, and you do it also for a big part for fans and to see them happy and feel the respect and the synergy together. I think it is an important thing, also for an atmosphere in a stadium to have two kind of fans in the stadium.

Are you disappointed it wasn’t sorted for the remaining games this season?

No I am not disappointed because I know making rules you cannot switch things in one day. There is a lot of organisation about things and relocating people because you bring fans in and all those things. I am not involved in that in the club, I have enough jobs to do! But I understand that you cannot change this thing in one week. It is a very positive thing from next season and it becomes a more normal situation.

How beneficial was the international break?

In that way not. The squad was not together. I had today the first time all my players back. Cyriel and Fabio played on Tuesday evening quite some minutes, they played the first game also. They had a lot of travelling to do so they could not train on Thursday to be fit for the game. It was the first time today. It is always exciting because I always see our story together like a book and I talked about that in the past. Every week we write new pages together and it is important they don’t forget pages you wrote together before in the way we play football, the way we need to move together on the pitch. It is a new test again because it seems like months ago that we played together. That is my feeling. I want to see that they didn’t forget anything, that is a challenge.

What work have you done with the players who weren’t on international duty?

It is individual. Some guys had a lot of games and a lot of work done in the last couple of months so they had to find a better balance so they are fresh again. Others had to train harder to come back after an injury. We used the time in the best way.

How much a part does it play that you play ahead of Celtic this weekend?

Nothing. Zero. Zero. No, totally not interested in that. It is about us, about performing and focusing on our performance. If we perform well then the points will come. It is all about that, about showing the right mentality that we have shown in the last couple of months together on and off the pitch. Also players coming in giving energy to the team. It is a lot of things about us. It is only about us and it will be about us until the end of May.

The Benfica match was the first time they haven’t scored under you. Is that a testament to how much your team have clicked?

Probably. When I came in, I said also I want to see a team who is dominant, I want to see a team who wants to create chances and score goals. We have been playing like that for months. I didn’t realise it was the first time. We had the chances against Benfica but it is a good team. That can happen in football. I am not worried about that because there are much better teams in the world who don’t score every game. It is good proof of the intentions that the team has and the way they want to play, and the way I want to see them play.

Are you comfortable with where you are with set-pieces or is there room for improvement?

There is certainly room for improvement. We are training on that every week and before every game. For sure there is room for improvement in the delivery, the runs, the timing also, in the way of heading. We are working on that hard.

Did you track the players that were away on international duty?

Yeah, I want to know everything. I track everything, otherwise I cannot sleep. We know everything. That is also one of the things we installed the last time it was international duty in November, that we have contact with the players every day about their training, what they are doing. So that in one moment you can intervene when it is not enough, for example, and players are not playing and you can have contact with the Federations to do something extra. Of course if they do too much you don’t have control of that, that is a pity. That is something I need to let go. That is part of our lives as managers of clubs and I think a lot of managers have problems with that sometimes. With a lot of Federations there is a really good contact and it is important because if the players perform here well and develop well it is better for the national teams as well.

Is there any update on John Lundstram and a new contract?

No. Otherwise you guys would know.

Are you still hopeful and confident that he will sign?

Yes I am totally confident about that. There is a lot of love from both sides so there will be a solution.

What kind of challenge are you expecting from Hibs?

That it is a good footballing team, a team that creates a lot of chances and scores a lot of goals, the third most in the league I think. They are really hungry to beat us, I feel it every time more that we play against them that the hunger and desire becomes bigger. That is one feeling around that. We need to see a very good Rangers team and feel a good support from the fans to play a really strong game to win.

It was a fiery encounter last time. Are you telling your players not to get involved?

We were really calm to be honest. It is one of my principles and my players know. I don’t want to see tackles like that, I don’t want that they get emotional when they get tackled like that and they stay calm and stay with eleven. They don’t go in discussions with opponents or the referee or those things and they are just focused on football and ourselves.