Celtic's Champions League Hopes Dwindle as McGregor Urges for More Signings

Callum McGregor did not try to dress it up. Celtic’s captain walked away from Linz knowing a patched‑up side had limped over the line in Europe – and that the transfer work is not finished.

Celtic’s Champions League hopes were already in ruins by the time a makeshift XI saw out the collapse against LASK, but the closing stages in Austria shone a harsh light on the depth of Martin O’Neill’s squad.

This has not been a quiet summer. The club have pushed the bulk of around £30million towards Kasper Hogh, Camilo Duran, Haissem Hassan and Mika Baur, a clear attempt to refresh and retool for the group stage. Yet when the pressure rose late on, the bench told its own story.

Liam Scales ended the night at left-back. Dane Murray and Anthony Ralston were pressed into service in defence. Luke McCowan was asked to shore up the midfield. Sebastian Tounekti finished on the left wing. It looked more like an improvised puzzle than a Champions League-hardened unit.

With eight days left before the window shuts, McGregor made it plain Celtic cannot stand still.

“I think we signed well,” he told BBC Sport Scotland when asked if the club had done enough to prepare for the tie. “Then when you look at the team that finished the game – Scalesy playing at left-back, etc – then there’s still little bits we still need to move forward.”

He was careful not to turn a recruitment discussion into a blame game.

“That’s not me pinning the blame on anyone else because this is a tie we go 4-0 up in, so by no means is this me saying we need a left-back. That’s not the case.

“But then, every squad wants to be as strong as it possibly can be, and have cover and good players in every position so we’re always pushing each other.”

The message cut through the disappointment. Celtic have invested. They have reshaped key areas. But as Linz brutally underlined, a long season with Champions League demands will stretch any weaknesses to breaking point.

The clock is ticking. The question now is whether the board match their captain’s urgency before the window slams shut.