RONNY DEILA will take a breather over the next 10 days as the bulk of his Celtic squad head out in international duty.

The Hoops boss has cut a weary figure in the aftermath of the club’s Champions League exit and he has acknowledged that the break will be a chance to reflect and absorb the disappointment of the Malmo defeat.

However, the next 24 hours are liable to be spent with a phone glued to his ear. The Scottish transfer window closes tomorrow night, giving Deila a short space to attempt to bring in options to solve the defensive headaches that continue to plague Celtic.

The Norwegian has spent the summer insisting that he does not want to sell Virgil van Dijk but as soon as the player himself made it public away back in June that he wanted to move the odds against him remaining at the club were always going to be high.

The Parkhead side have brought in Tyler Blackett from Manchester United on loan, a player who can play either on the left-hand side of defence or as a centre-half but his inexperience may be a source of concern, especially if Celtic harbour genuine ambitions of making it out of their Europe League group.

"Quality, that is the most important thing as I have said many times,” said Deila after the 21-year-old completed his move on Saturday afternoon."He is a good player, an up and coming young player. He can play centre-back or left-back so we will see.

"He has experience playing for Manchester United. He really wanted to come to Celtic and we wanted him as well so I think he is going to be a good signing."

Ajax and Fenerbahce are teams of Champions League ilk and one would suspect that Celtic, on current evidence, would struggle to stand up to the questions they will inevitably pose.

Certainly, the soft centre was evident against St Johnstone at the weekend.

Dedryck Boyata turned the ball into his own net to give the Perth side an unexpected 11th minute lead and darken a mood which was already gloomy within Celtic Park, and although the Parkhead side comfortably reversed the scoreline, there are frailties there that are not liable to disappear overnight.

Goals from Leigh Griffiths, the impressive Tom Rogic and a third from Charlie Mulgrew ensured that domestically at least Celtic will feel all is right with the world.

The result put them back to the forefront of the SPFL, a position few would expect them to relinquish between now and May.

But John Sutton clipped the crossbar while Craig Gordon was forced into an impressive double save in the latter stages of the game and the conundrum for Celtic will remain that for so long as they get away with losing their focus and concentration domestically it makes it harder for them to compete on European terms.

Without fear that they can slip in the league, there is a blunt edge to Celtic. It is nigh on impossible to bring that sharpness, mental as much as anything else, into games on a one-off basis, as they are expected to do when they take to the European arena.

The fluency and verve with which Celtic finished the season has not quite been replicated yet, although it is fair to suggest that they are a team capable of impressive passages of attacking play.

Griffiths was lively and eager against St Johnstone on Saturday afternoon and his eighth goal of the season – his fourth consecutive goal in his last four league games – underlines the expectation that he is capable of hitting the 30-goal mark this season for Celtic, assuming he remains fit.

Yet, the striker was one of those who will privately feel that he let himself down in Malmo and in more ways than one.

There was an act of blind stupidity which could have been particularly costly while the one decent chance that he had he did not take.

The Europa League may well be regarded as the poor relation to the glamour and prestige of the Champions League but it presents a chance for Celtic to salvage something this term. If they are to be successful in that aim, players like Griffiths need to be able to cross the bridge from domestic football into the very different environment of European football.

Last season Celtic conceded more goals in Europe than they did over the course of the entire domestic season.

Affable and personable, Deila is a popular figure within the Celtic support but is trademark celebration on Saturday at the final whistle was offered as half-heartedly as it was received. Deila’s belief that Celtic have improved as a team under his tutelage will receive traction only by what happens on the field – and against the likes of Ajax and Fenerbahce.

Asking for observers to appreciate the bigger picture is not a luxury that goes with the Celtic job. Results are everything and this season he may find that his side needs to stand up to scrutiny once again.

Over the next 24 hours it remains to be seen just what that team may be.