Brendan Rodgers has admitted that he wants Patrick Roberts back for next season.
The Manchester City kid is due back at the Etihad next month and could miss out on the Scottish Cup Final if Celtic qualify, due to international commitments.
Rodgers has two areas to focus on over the coming months- surviving the Champions League qualifiers and making an impact in the group stage.
Celtic’s best performance in this season’s competition was away to Borussia Monchengladbach where they earned a 1-1 draw despite losing 2-0 at home two weeks earlier.
Roberts came on as a substitute in that match and brought a new creative edge to Celtic’s play with the defence splitting pass to Moussa Dembele that led to a penalty followed by the pass for Callum McGregor’s last minute chance.
Finding that ability at the highest level is a difficult task but the Celtic boss knows one player that can deliver.
“I believe that we need a midfield player who can make a pass and make a difference in the Champions League,” the Daily Record reported Rodgers saying.
“Whether Patrick Roberts comes back from Manchester City remains to be seen so I believe that I’ll need another winger, with real pace and power and I’ll maybe be looking at one other position in centre half.”
Celtic will kick off their campaign on July 11/12 and will be seeded for three rounds of qualifiers.