Benjamin Nygren will start in midfield tonight when Celtic take on Sporting Lisbon in Portugal. It’s part of Brendan Rodgers’ plans to use the summer signing in the middle of the park, rather than out wide.

Sources told CeltsAreHere before Nygren joined that the Swede could play on the wing, but Rodgers sees him as a better fit in a midfield three. That means Celtic are even shorter in wide areas going into the new season.

Jota will miss the first half of the season and Nicolas Kühn left for Como last Friday. That leaves Celtic with a clear need to bring in at least two new wingers in this transfer window.

Nygren’s start in midfield is another hint that Rodgers is trying to shape the team differently this year. The Irishman is looking for more control in the middle, but it’s coming at a cost. Without enough natural wingers, the Hoops could struggle to stretch the game and break teams down from wide areas.

Kühn’s departure has left the right wing spot empty, while Jota’s absence removes one of Celtic’s most dangerous players on the left. Daizen Maeda and Yang are still at the club, but the South Korean had spells of inconsistency last season.

Rodgers needs new options out wide, players who can beat defenders, create chances and bring speed to Celtic’s attack. It’s now one of the top priorities in the market.

Nygren’s move to midfield is not a bad thing, especially if he brings quality in possession and proves to be a like-for-like replacement for Matt O’Riley, who left for a club-record fee last summer. But it doesn’t solve the problem on the wings.

Celtic still need to act fast and bring in the right type of wide players before the competitive games begin.

Tonight’s match will show more about how Rodgers wants this team to play, and how urgently reinforcements are needed.