Anthony Stokes will NOT play against Celtic should both Hibs and Celtic make it to the final of the League Cup.

The Irish forward, who scored for Alan Stubbs’ side in their weekend win over St Mirren, will play on Saturday at Tynecastle against St Johnstone while Celtic will be up against Ross County at Hampden on Sunday as they vie for a place in the final.

Should both teams get to Hampden to compete for the first silverware of the season, Stokes will be sitting in the stand as per a gentleman’s agreement with Celtic when the deal to take him to Hibs on loan was agreed last week.

Meanwhile, Ronny Deila is bracing himself for a frantic final week of transfer activity as Celtic attempt to bolder their squad this week.

Molde forward Mohamed Elyounoussi is high on the agenda as Celtic seek to land the Norwegian internationalist before the window closes.

It is believed that the player, who scored in both of this season’s Europa League games against Celtic, would cost around £2m. Deila is keen on bringing the Moroccan-born player to Glasgow, but was tight-lipped on what this week will bring.

“It is a tough time and I think everyone understands that it is hard to bring in players in this window - but you can be sure that we are trying,” said Deila.

“We are pleased with Erik Svaitchenko. He will be a strong addition to our squad but we will see whether or not that is it.

“It is a bit of a frantic time. It is busy. But we will see where we are when the window closes. Hopefully we will be in a stronger position than when it opened. I won’t comment on individual players. We are working and will keep working on our targets until the window closes – and the our focus moves to the summer.

“We do not stop looking.”

Meanwhile, the Celtic manager has insisted that it is unlikely the club will try and pursue any loan deals.

The club were linked with a loan for Scotland internationalist Graham Dorrans – who played this weekend in Norwich’s 5-4 defeat to Liverpool – but wages would be a key issue and Deila is also keen to bring in players who can enhance the club as they seek to make it into next summer’s UEFA Champions League group stages.

Having lost his central defence last summer, he is reluctant to bring in players on the short-term.

“I learned a lot last season,” said Deila. “We played some excellent football in the second-half of the season and we were looking very good but then we lost Virgil Van Dijk and Jason Denayer finished his loan spell.

“It meant that there was a lot of work to do there. It would be better if we know that we are going into those summer qualifying games with more or less the same squad and then we know each other and where we are.

“Bit, of course, that is an ideal. Football is not always so straight as that.

“I wouldn’t rule out a loan deal because you never know what might happen, but it would be fair to say that we would hopefully be looking at it becoming a permanent move.”