By Alan Hutton

23rd Sep, 2023 | 7:55am

Celtic news: Rodgers has 'massive' problem after Phillips twist

Celtic have a massive task to find someone to replace Gustaf Lagerbielke for their next Champions League group stage match.

Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, former Rangers defender insisted Tomoki Iwata doesn’t have what it takes to step up to central defence for the game against Lazio on 4 October.

Brendan Rodgers is facing a selection headache for the next round of the Champions League after Lagerbielke was shown a second yellow card and sent off in the 2-0 defeat to Feyenoord on Tuesday (19 September) and will be suspended for the visit from Lazio.

New signings Nat Phillips and Maik Nawrocki are still sidelined with injuries with the latter excluded from the Celts’ European squad for the Champions League competition.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Stephen Welsh are also on the treatment table with the former expected back next month.

Iwata was brought on to fill in for Lagerbielke in the Netherlands but Hutton urged Rodgers against sticking with the natural midfielder.

“I do not fancy Iwata at centre-back,” he told Football Insider.

“It is amazing how it happens, you bring in all these defenders and then at once they get injured. It’s a massive issue.

“Lagerbielke is going to be suspended for the game against Lazio but I think the fact that it is at home makes it a little bit easier.

“I think [Liam] Scales has done really well since coming in. There has been a lot of pressure on him especially with some big names coming in.

“Phillips could be out for a few days or a few weeks but somebody is going to have to step up. We will have to wait and see what the injury list is saying over the next week or so.“

In other news, Celtic smash club record with £51m payout.