Celtic will pull all out all the stops to bring in another centre half before tonight’s 11pm Champions League deadline.

Brendan Rodgers’ first competitive game at Celtic Park ended with a comfortable 3-0 win as the Hoops saw off Lincoln Red Star, a result that takes the club into a difficult third round qualifying tie against Astana in Kazakhstan.

That game will be played next Wednesday evening – 4pm BST – and Rodgers will look to draft in another defender.

Aston Villa’s Scott Sinclair remained a prospect for the club last night, although the fee for the player could prove to be prohibitive with the Birmingham club already having rebuffed an offer from the Parkhead club.

Blackburn’s Shane Duffy is also on the radar of the club, as is Liverpool’s John Flanagan.

Certainly, though, Celtic will look to sign at least one more player before tomorrow night given the defensive issues they face with Jozo Simunovic and Dedryck Boyata still crocked.

“Hopefully, that’s what I am looking at,” said Rodgers last night. “There is no doubt we need one or two more in that I want to bring in to the team.

“Let’s hope we can do that before that closes tomorrow. It would be the plan to do something before the game in Kazakhstan.

“Hopefully that would be a great boost to the squad.”

Meanwhile, the Hoops boss will brace himself now for a nightmare journey to Kazakhstan after Celtic finally saw off Red Imps last night.

Astana took points at home from Galatasaray, Benfica and Atletico Madrid in last season’s group stage of the UEFA Champions League and are likely to be formidable opponents next week.

“Apart from the six hour flight and five hour time difference and 35 degree heat and plastic pitch with no water it should be alright,” said Rodgers sardonically. “But, listen, it’s what is thrown at us.

“We just need to adjust. We will look probably fly out on the Monday. The game is on the Wednesday and we just have to prepare ourselves the best we possibly can.

“Again, it’s dry conditions, but we have to find a way to get a performance and a result.”

Rodgers, though, believes that Celtic will have improved again by the time they face Astana.

“I said last week, and I know it might have seemed strange after losing the game, but I have been delighted with the players since they walked in,” he said. “They have been absolutely first class in their eagerness to learn.

“I can see each day they are getting better in their fitness and tactical approach to the game.

“They played a number of different structures already in pre-season, which tells me they are coping well with what we are giving them.

“Like I say, not perfect, but they are doing everything they can to improve and that’s really pleasing at this stage.”