Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed a growing injury crisis in his defensive line ahead of this weekend’s match against Kilmarnock in the Viaplay Cup.

Key players Reo Hatate and Cameron Carter-Vickers have been ruled out of the fixture, and their conditions will continue to be assessed in the coming weeks.

Adding to Rodgers’ woes, defender Stephen Welsh, who just signed a new deal with Celtic on Friday morning, sustained a knock in training that puts his availability for the weekend’s match in doubt.

🔊 LISTEN: Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers says Cameron Carter-Vickers and Reo Hatate will miss this weekend and the club will “assess them over the coming weeks”.

He also confirmed Stephen Welsh has picked up a knock today after signing a new deal ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/VmqC8lEYCw

— Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (@ClydeSSB) August 18, 2023

The absence of Carter-Vickers and Welsh, two central figures in Celtic’s defence, could pave the way for new signing Gustaf Lagerbielke to make his debut at centre-back. Lagerbielke, a 23-year-old Swedish defender, recently joined Celtic from Elfsborg for a reported £3 million fee.

The depth of the squad will be tested, and Rodgers will likely need to get creative with his defensive selections.

As Celtic prepare to face Kilmarnock, all eyes will be on how Rodgers reshapes his defence and whether Lagerbielke will be handed his debut under these pressing circumstances.