Filip Benkovic will be on international duty from June 16 to June 24, hoping to extend that through until June 30 with Croatia taking on Romania, France and England at the u-21 European Championships.
Celtic’s first Champions League qualifier will be on June 9 or 10 kicking off a run of what will hopefully be eight midweek matches leading to the group stage.
Despite the sugar coated words of support from Brendan Rodgers Celtic can’t go into next season waiting on the possibility of a loan player from Leicester.
Almost certainly Rodgers will want to involve Benkovic in his side’s pre-season training work to see how he has developed and compares with the other central defenders at the club.
While he is doing that Celtic has to find a central defensive pairing to get them through eight matches in which they will be seeded with a wage bill vastly superior to all of their opponents.
Kris Ajer will be one half of that defensive partnership, Jozo Simunovic could be the other but with his track record on injuries another quality, permanent central defender needs to be brought in.
After a desperate transfer window last summer bringing in Benkovic on loan as the window closed saved the day defensively, this summer Celtic have to act smarter, bring in players ready for the qualifiers from July 9 to build some momentum towards returning to the group phase of the Champions League rather than waiting for leftovers from the man that upped sticks to devote his life to Leicester in February.
CLICK HERE for the dates of Croatia’s matches at the u-21 European Championships.
