BHOYS WILL BE DENIED DENAYER FOR CHAMPIONS LEAGUE, ADMITS DEILA

RONNY DEILA has admitted Celtic will enter the Champions League qualifiers in the summer without defender Jason Denayer. The SPFL Young Player of the Month for March, 19-year-old Denayer is due back at parent club Manchester City for a pre-season assessment. Keen to pursue a first-team breakthrough after making his international debut for Belgium last month, doubts over the future of Manuel Pellegrini may yet hand the Parkhead side the chance of a second loan deal. But Deila admits that won’t happen in time for the first Champions League qualifier on July 16. ‘Man City want Jason back for their pre-season to see what kind of level he is at, get their group together, and then maybe he will be loaned out again or he will stay. That is up to Jason and the City manager,’ Deila explained. ‘We will see what happens but it is very difficult just now. We will look for a centre-half — one, maybe two.’ Denayer (right) remains cautious over the prospect of an extended loan deal and added: ‘I only try to focus my mind on what is going on at Celtic and try to do my best for them. I always try to give my best level, that’s what I need to do to reach the highest level in football. ‘I haven’t spoken to (reserve team boss) Patrick Vieira or anyone at Man City but I hope they are happy with my progress. ‘I feel that I have really improved a lot from the start of the season. ‘I’m a more mature player and my style of play is also different from when I first arrived. ‘Some of the strikers I come up against in Scotland are big and physically very strong. They are big and quite different to what I have been used to, but I have improved with every game and the challenge of it all.’