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Brendan Rodgers addresses the one summer consequence that Celtic must deal with

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We are almost a month on from the closure of Celtic’s transfer window.

The final week of that window was truly hectic. Brendan Rodgers had lost a number of key players without replacing them, and the side crashed out of Champions League qualifying against Kaira Almaty.

Today, while plenty of issues still remain, at least there are some new signings to deal with – Kelechi Iheanacho has made a stellar start to his Celtic career.

So too has Sebastian Tounekti, who has made the left-wing spot his own, earning man of the match in both of his Celtic appearances so far.

However, not all is solved for the Hoops boss, who addressed his squad situation ahead of this weekend’s meeting with Hibernian.

Brendan Rodgers on Celtic’s squad situation

Whilst the last week of the window helped Rodgers deal with the level of numbers in his Hoops attack, it hasn’t exactly covered each position in an ideal way.

READ MORE: Brendan Rodgers tells Daizen Maeda the ‘dangerous territory’ he must avoid in clear Celtic message

Brendan Rodgers with his Celtic coaching staff
Photo by PREDRAG MILOSAVLJEVIC/AFP via Getty Images

Asked about the balance of his squad ahead of the Hibernian match this weekend, Rodgers said: “It’s a consequence of where we were from the summer, so we have to look to find it.

“It’s not as natural as maybe what it was last year in some ways, but I think we can see opportunities there for the likes of Kels coming into the team. I know he’s a natural striker.

“He can do really good things for us, and that’s part of the challenge for us is filling the gaps where we have some.

“I think now and going through, you start to find the rhythm and, of course, there’s another international break soon. I think now you start to play more games, and you start to use the squad more and everything else.”

What changes will Brendan Rodgers make for the match against Hibernian?

A busy schedule is the reason why Celtic’s squad has to be as deep as it is – there are a number of players for whom the match feels like the perfect starting opportunity.

Michel-Ange Balikwisha has only started once in his preferred left-wing position, and that was against Rangers at Ibrox just days after his capture was confirmed.

Paulo Bernardo has started just once this season, despite being a reliable first-team contributor. The likes of Dane Murray and Marcelo Saracchi could also do with a start.

However Rodgers lines up, he won’t be underestimating the challenge of David Gray’s side.