Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed the club will be looking at the central defensive position in the final days of the transfer window after a bruising period of injury issues.
The Bhoys boss today informed supporters that Cameron Cameron-Vickers and Maik Nawrocki have both been ruled out for two months, with Stephen Welsh also out for an extended period of time after surgery on his ankle.
This time last week, the central defensive area looked like it had been addressed for the summer with both Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke arriving to offset the departure of Carl Starfelt.
However, Rodgers has now stated they will have to look for a bit of experience and quality in the market before the summer window shuts.
He said [Daily Record]: “We have to look at it, no doubt. It’s an area we are light on and when you are losing three players for that length of time knowing the number of games we have and the importance of every game, it’s something we have to look at.
“I think especially at centre-back, it’s a specialised position where the experience always helps. We have a lot of young players in the squad but naturally to bring them through, they need to play with players not just of experience, but players of quality.”
Given the nature of Celtic’s situation, a loan move wouldn’t be out of the question here. The Bhoys need a stop-gap option to get through this defensive crisis, at least until January but potentially beyond too. Rehabilitations are never predictable.
It sounds as if Rodgers will certainly be eyeing a move for an older, more experienced player who can help the defensive line through upcoming challenges, alongside veteran goalkeeper Joe Hart.
This is an unexpected situation for everyone at Celtic, including the recruitment team, but we need to see that the club can react well to surprises and deliver a signing that ticks the boxes. The pressure is on a bit, but the champions have the resources and the pulling power. Get it done!
In other news, Celtic will be watching as Kieran Tierney now not even included in Arsenal training.
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