Celtic race to bring in a wildcard

CELTIC are working on a wildcard signing before the Champions League trip to Kazakhstan after last night’s European signing deadline passed with no new arrivals. Parkhead boss Brendan Rodgers hoped to land a fresh face before the 11pm cut-off for the third qualifying round. However, UEFA rules allow clubs to leave a space in their European squad for a new player on the eve of the game. And assistant manager Chris Davies refused to rule out a bout of weekend shopping amid concerns over the club’s defensive options in Astana. ‘It is being worked on and we have the wildcard option which is a buffer for us as

well,’ said Davies. ‘It is only natural to know that option is there if there is business to be done. We are aware of it. ‘We know the areas we need to improve on and we have identified targets. It would be a big boost for us if we can get people in who are going to make the difference. ‘But the most important thing is that it’s the right player, rather than rushing in and doing something hasty that maybe isn’t right.’ Rodgers has spent £400,000 on former Fulham striker Moussa Dembele, with supporters frustrated by the lack of further additions. Sportsmail understands the Parkhead club are now prepared to sell Efe Ambrose after turning down past bids from Olympiakos and Maccabi Tel Aviv. Ambrose was axed from the squad which overcame Lincoln Red Imps after his first-leg blunder and Davies admitted: ‘It’s a situation where if we can get deals done, then obviously the squad gets that little bit bigger and there is more opportunity for players to move on. But all I can say about Efe is that since we’ve come in here he’s been great to work with every day, his personality and his attitude to training, and he’s given everything he can, every session and every day. ‘He did it again today. He’s been a pleasure to work with on a day-to-day basis but we’re obviously assessing the whole squad and assessing what we need to bring in to improve and take the team forward and there might be opportunity for players to move on.’ While admitting the team needs an injection of fresh blood as they strive for a first Champions League qualification in three years, Davies insisted the emphasis is on quality rather than quantity. ‘We have been pretty consistent in the areas we want to strengthen since day one in here and on targets we want,’ he said. ‘We have a reasonable size squad, so we need to bring in quality that improves the team. Of course it would be a big boost for us going into that really important game in Astana. ‘It is going to be a test. Last season, they got points off Benfica, Galatasaray and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, all at home. They were also unbeaten at home in the qualifying rounds. ‘We know we have to be ready to do a job over there, so anything that could help us, we will be pleased with.’ Celtic will make a six-hour flight to the Kazakh capital on Monday, returning home straight after the game. Scout John McGlynn watched Astana scrape a 92nd-minute handball winner against Zalgiris Vilnius after the Lithuanians squandered a golden chance to win the tie. Davies added: ‘We have watched a little bit of them already. We were doing work on both them and Zalgiris Vilnius leading up to the second leg. ‘We will know everything about them by next week. I think we are trying to create a ‘no excuses’ environment.’ Stefan Johansen, meanwhile, could be fit enough to return to the squad to face Leicester City in tomorrow’s friendly after he trained yesterday.