The pressing Celtic selection dilemmas Brendan Rodgers will mull over during international break

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Celtic have a squad bristling with talent that Brendan Rodgers has used to his advantage, with depth in quality paramount to his mission at the club.

In the summer, the Bhoys made eight signings to bolster the ranks as they look to build on last term’s return of a domestic double.

Speaking after the transfer window ended, Rodgers said he couldn’t complain about Celtic’s incomings and backed up the notion that his group are now a stronger force for challenges ahead.

He stated: “The club have done great in terms of ins and outs. We’ve had to move people on so there’s been a lot of work going on over a number of months.

“If you look at our squad and the bench that we’ve had and featured in so many games, we needed to strengthen it and I feel we’ve done that.”

With the Bhoys on a run of seven domestic wins and competing for progression in the Champions League, where are the main selection dilemmas Rodgers has to wade through over the international break?

Liam Scales and Auston Trusty in direct Celtic competition

Although Liam Scales and Auston Trusty have been playing alongside each other amid Cameron Carter-Vickers’ latest Celtic injury, once their counterpart is back, they will more than likely be in direct competition with each other for a place.

Having two left-footed central defenders starting in conjunction is fairly unusual, but both have complemented each other domestically either side of the Bhoys’ heavy Champions League loss to Borussia Dortmund.

Scales has spoken well about Trusty since the latter arrived from Sheffield United in the summer, stating: “He’s a top player and I think, whoever it is, we’re ready as we’ve had a chance to play with each other now. I’ve no preference because we have so many good players in each position that we can deal with injuries here and there.”

Undoubtedly, supporters will see the pairing again at some point this term, but Rodgers will have a decision to make on his preferred choice once the international break concludes.

The Celtic midfield battle is bubbling away nicely

Making an instant impression, Celtic £11 million record signing Arne Engels looks to have nailed down a place beside club captain Callum McGregor in midfield following two goals and three assists from his opening seven matches.

With that in mind, the third slot in the Bhoys midfield is open to interpretation. Reo Hatate, Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan are the prime candidates to stake a claim, with upcoming tests on the horizon likely to involve rotation in the engine room, as seen below.

Last weekend, Celtic boss Rodgers lauded Bernardo and McCowan for their role in his side’s victory at Ross County, stating: “Second half, the guys coming into the game, Paulo and Luke, they were outstanding. They were flexible on the ball, they showed good movement.”

Just over a week remains before the Hoops’ top-of-the-table clash against Aberdeen. It will be intriguing to see who is rewarded with a start against the Dons amid recent developments.

The Celtic focal point debate involving Kyogo and Adam Idah

Kyogo Furuhashi or Adam Idah? That is a tough question for Celtic to answer, seeing as both strikers offer such diverging qualities.

In terms of the raw numbers, both have exactly the same hit rate, with four goals in nine matches. The Bhoys’ Japanese talisman has a slight advantage, with two assists to his name.

On paper, supporters would most likely lean towards Furuhashi, seeing as he is now a whisker off 80 goals for the club in three years. However, the latter’s penchant for big moments won Idah his £9.5 million move to Celtic, so it is really anyone’s game.

Possessing almost identical records this term in front of the target, there is plenty more to come from the Bhoys’ two hitmen over the next few months.