Celtic are officially on the clock. With the summer transfer window slamming shut on September 1st — just one month from today — the club face a stark reality: the squad is not ready.

Brendan Rodgers will lead Celtic into a make-or-break period in August with a team still light in key areas and burdened by players he doesn’t want. The manager is currently having to keep hold of fringe players deemed surplus to requirements simply because there’s nobody else to take their place. It’s an untenable situation at a club preparing for a Champions League playoff and the start of a domestic title defence.