IT likely won't be as extreme as the measures deployed by Claudio Ranieri during his time at Chelsea but Ronny Deila plans on becoming Scottish football's version of the Tinkerman in the weeks ahead.

He does so from a position of strength. The deadline-day signing of Stuart Armstrong and Gary Mackay-Steven from Dundee United means the Celtic manager has a number of selection options to choose from as he looks to navigate a safe passage through a congested fixture list. Competing in four competitions will put a lot of demands on Celtic but Deila is fortunate enough to now have the resources to deal with it.

He has learnt quickly enough to "take it one game at a time" meaning his most pressing engagement is this afternoon's league game away to St Johnstone. That is not to say he has not given some consideration to Thursday's Europa League tie at home to Internazionale, revealing that there was very little chance that the same 11 that starts at McDiarmid Park will also be re-united at Celtic Park in midweek. That may produce mixed feelings for those in the line-up today, knowing that not even a man-of-the-match performance will guarantee them a start against the Italian giants.

"Inter is not on my mind," said Deila. "I have learned in this job that you have to take it one game at a time. You have to keep the momentum going, you have to win and if don't think only of the next game then the players start to think of something else. Inter Milan is coming next week, we know about that, but the biggest game is on Saturday. If we have a good performance against St Johnstone then we will take a lot of confidence into the game against Inter.

"But I don't think the team on Saturday will be the same as the team that will play Inter. We need competition, but healthy competition. I pick the players I think best suits the game. I have to love every player and I do that. I really want them to do well and they get chances when they work over time. John Guidetti got his chance against Partick. Why? Because he has been working hard for two or three weeks now and he worked hard for the team and was influential in the win for us."

It means trying to strike a balance between keeping Celtic's momentum going - they have won seven matches in a row to start 2015 - and giving a rest to those players who need it most.

"We have to keep our momentum", added Deila. "We won't change too much but the most important thing is to keep them injury-free. Some players can't handle the load to play so many games so we have to change. James Forrest didn't play against Partick but he will be ready for Saturday's game. We have to use the squad wisely and always try to look ahead while keeping the consistency in training and matches. If we do that then everyone will develop."

The concept of players being left out even when playing well is a new one on Armstrong. But he is willing to adapt.

"I think I've got my head around that idea," said the forward who scored on his debut against Thistle. "It's a big squad and these days it's definitely a squad game. There are loads of games coming up - the team is in four competitions. Squad rotation is vital at this time of the season and I'll be very happy to be a part of that."

Deila's insistence on playing a high-tempo, pressing game places a huge demand on the fitness of his players. The manager makes no apologies for that.

"I have always been an attacking coach," he added excitedly. "When I played I was an attacking central defender. When I played I loved the ball and I loved to attack the teams. The pattern from the offensive play has been there all the time but of course it develops all the time when you seen and experience new things. The defence thing is watching teams like Barcelona and Bayern Munich and seeing how hard they work, the quickness, but also in Stromsgodset we had a way to develop our style, our fitness and that is about quality in training. If you do that then people get quicker. It is not about running longer it is about running faster."

Armstrong admitted the intensity of training took him by surprise in the first few days. "I didn't quite realise how hard the boys work until I came here. In training and the games, it's phenomenal the amount of work we put in.

"To get the ball back when we lose it so quickly is the way we are dominating games. It's definitely not easy. It's a lot of work and I was absolutely knackered after the game. Once I get to the levels of fitness that the rest of the team have, my performances will definitely improve."