At 4pm on Thursday Celtic announced the loan signing of Nat Phillips from Liverpool.
The new bhoy had already gone through a training session with his new team-mates earlier in the day as Gustaf Lagerbielke revealed when he discussed the draw for the Champions League.
With Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh and Maik Nawrocki all out injured it isn’t an overstatement to say that Brendan Rodgers had limited options for the match with St Johnstone and more importantly Sunday’s match at Ibrox.
On Wednesday afternoon word got out that Phillips was the player that Celtic wanted to bring in with business appearing to be quickly concluded.
? #WelcomeNat! ?
Liverpool FC defender Nat Phillips joins #CelticFC on loan until January 2024 – subject to international clearance ??
Welcome to Celtic, Nat! ?
— Celtic Football Club (@CelticFC) August 31, 2023
The Daily Mail reports Lagerbielke saying:
I saw Nat in training today and he’s a great player as are Liam Scales and Maik (Nawrocki). There are a lot of new players but the two weeks I’ve been here we’ve been progressing all the time. We’re getting to know each other and our strengths and weaknesses.
All being well Phillips will train today and tomorrow at Lennoxtown which should give him a decent grounding for Sunday’s match at Ibrox.
It isn’t the ideal match to make your debut in but the other options are Lagerbielke making his third Celtic appearance or Scales who played his first Celtic match in 18 months in the draw against St Johnstone. Phillips plus Lagerbielks who had been playing regularly for Elfsborg looks more imposing than Scales and Lagerbielke.
Last season Phillips only made five appearances for Liverpool but did take a full part in their pre-season preparations before the EPL started away to Chelsea on August 13.
Brendan Rodgers will meet the media today with the team for Ibrox announced at 10.45 on Sunday.
6 minutes- discussing Phillips in training
Could also play Scales ahead of the centre backs as a very defensive deep midfielder, freeing the full backs to either invert or push up in support of our wingers, as Sevco’s full backs are weaker than Top Deck shandy.