BRENDAN RODGERS has made it clear he does NOT expect to strengthen his centre back options before the window closes at the end of the month.

Celtic fans have been crying out for backline reinforcements with a right back being top of their agenda. However, it has been noted since the summer window – with Boyata not signing a new deal and Benkovic likely to move back to Leicester at the end of the season this means Celtic will lose their first team centre-back pairing going into next years Euro qualifiers.

If that’s the case, it will be up to Kristoffer Ajer and Jozo Simunovic to pick up the slack because the Celtic manager doesn’t envision being able to bring anyone in of quality to sit them on the bench until the summer.

“I think that will be very difficult to do that this month. To be brutally honest, if we were to bring in someone of the quality we require they would want to play. he told the ET.

“There are positions we’ll look at but that is one where a couple of our key players will move on and will need to be replaced.

“Obviously, we have young Kris Ajer and Jozo Simunovic already here. It’s an area of the team we will find it tough to strengthen in January but it’s a must to do that in the summer.

“It’s a possibility that we will spend more in the next couple of weeks. We’ve brought in a couple of loans and a young boy with potential. I’m not sure – it’s down to availability and also to what’s affordable from the club’s perspective but I think we’ll look to add to our squad. “

While what Rodgers is saying makes sense, he’s going to be heavily reliant on Dedryck Boyata for the second half of the season and if the players future is clearly not at Celtic Park then surely bringing in a quality centre back and playing them in front of Boyata would be the more beneficial option.