Celtic proved that there will be life without Matt O'Riley as the champions swatted St Mirren aside 3 -0 at the SMiSA Stadium in Paisley as the champions kept up their 100 per cent winning start to the season.

It was the midfield duo of Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate who had Brendan Rodgers's men on easy street after just 33 minutes in this one as the visitors sailed into a two-goal lead before Alistair Johnston added a third with 20 minutes to go.

Whilst O'Riley was undergoing a medical with English Premier League side Brighton for a Scottish record transfer fee, the Celtic skipper was rasping an accurate 25-yard left-foot drive into the bottom corner for the opener inside three minutes after being teed up by James Forrest

Half an hour later Celtic were two to the good as Johnston hung one up to the back post and Daizen Maeda cleverly headed the ball down into the path of Hatate who lashed a superb strike into the net.

Rodgers handed second Celtic first starts to summer signings Paulo Bernardo and last season's Scottish Cup-winning hero Adam Idah.  It was the Portuguese midfielder who acquitted himself excellently well as he gave Rodgers's side real poise and balance in the engine room as he put himself about and staked his claim for a starting slot against Rangers in the first Glasgow derby at Parkhead next weekend.

It was a quieter debut for Republic of Ireland attacker Idah who spurned a couple of decent opportunities and made way for Kyogo Furuhashi just before the hour mark. The Japanese striker fluffed a one-on-one to make it 3-0 when he fired off the legs of Ellery Balcombe when put in the clear.

Johnston duly made it 3-0 on 70 minutes when he lashed home substitute Nicolas Kuhn's accurate low cutback. It was the German winger's sixth goal contribution of the season already.

All in all, it was another satisfactory day at the office for Rodgers's ruthless side who bossed proceedings from start to finish.

Life after O'Riley? Celtic proved that they will cope and then some.

The men in green and white are still laughing...all the way to the bank as it happens.

Life after O'Riley? It's fine because Celtic have Reo Hatate..and many others

There was no time for the Celtic supporters to lament the loss of Matt O'Riley to Brighton & Hove Albion. Not when Hatate is around. He is a superbly talented player and it won't be long before his stock will be on the rise just like O'Riley's. The Japanese midfielder stepped up to the plate alongside his partner as he scored the clinching second with a brilliant finish on his weaker foot after a terrific headed knockdown by compatriot Maeda that was just begging to be hit. It was a sublime strike and the 23-year-old showed incredible technique to confidently slam home and double Celtic's lead after minutes. You get the feeling sometimes that this is Hatate's world and other footballers are living in it. There was never any doubt that Hatate would be able to fill the void created by O'Riley's departure and step into his shoes. Hatate on this form is unstoppable as well as unplayable.

Captain Fantastic Callum McGregor leading by example...again!

Callum McGregor loves the yellow jersey. Make that two goals in successive Scottish Premiership away games in the new away kit. However, the 31-year-old midfielder has the yellow jersey in more ways than one. He remains one of the best midfielders in the country and he leads by example always. The Celtic skipper ensured the champions controlled the narrative after just 156 seconds of this encounter as he wrapped a 25-yard beauty into the bottom corner to put the visitors ahead. It was the fastest goal of the Scottish Premiership season thus far. McGregor is such an elegant footballer to watch at times. McGregor produced another stunning quality moment at Paisley to match his strike in Edinburgh but that's kind of what the Celtic supporters have come to know, love and expect from their inspirational captain. Scotland's loss is very much Celtic and Rodgers's gain.

Celtic still need midfielder reinforcements but Bernardo is back with a bang

Bernardo showed that he was more than capable of stepping into the Celtic midfield in the absence of O'Riley. There is a very good footballer lurking deep within the Portuguese player. He will be a huge asset for his club and manager moving forward. His work defensively was impressive and he had one slide tackle in particular that showed he has hidden strength as well as real depth to his leg reach. He slotted into Rodgers's midfield seamlessly and can be well pleased with his display. Allied with great technique the 22-year-old former Benfica graduate also showed that he is no slouch when it comes down to performing the not-so-glamorous tasks. Rodgers will be especially pleased with Bernardo's contribution on a day when the wet conditions and the elements made life extremely difficult for the players. The Celtic manager still needs to bolster his midfield as the transfer window clock ticks down but Bernardo is a player in the making.

Superb stuff from immense Liam Scales

The Republic of Ireland defender is much-maligned at times and the Celtic supporters desperately crave a new centre-back to challenge and eventually overthrow Scales from his position, especially if the Scottish champions are to have any chance of success in the new Champions League league phase. However, he was outstanding at the back of the pack in Paisley and you have to give credit where it is due. He constantly worked in tandem with defensive partner Cameron Carter-Vickers. One sliding block in particular in the first half was textbook defending. He judged and read everything to perfection. The 26-year-old has had an excellent start to the campaign and he is justifying the faith and trust that Rodgers has clearly placed in him. Celtic still need a centre-back as a matter of urgency and priority and the next five days will be interesting, to say the least.