CELTIC manager Brendan Rodgers wants to sign two strikers in January to cope with the absence of Leigh Griffiths.
The club's top scorer is out of football for an unspecified period as he deals with "multiple personal problems" which leaves Celtic with only Odsonne Edouard as a senior centre-forward.
Rodgers has been promised significant funds to spend next month and with the previous two transfer windows disappointing for the club, the manager said that can't be allowed to happen again.
"There’s no doubt that we might need two because we wanted three strikers," he said. "We know we can’t go through the number of games we have and at the intensity at which we play with the same striker. We will definitely look at that. It’s always been a focus but this narrows our focus.
"It’s about availability. January is a very hard window in which to get players in. But we will definitely have to reinforce."
Rodgers admitted that he would consider a loan deal but would prefer getting in someone on a permanent basis as he is stilling missing Moussa Dembele who left for Lyon in August.
"We have to look at whatever is available really," he said. "It’s hard because if a team have four strikers and they play with a front two they probably don’t want to lose any of them in case they get an injury and are down to three so it’s just going to be about availability."
Rodgers paid tribute to troubled Griffiths who scored the first goal of the Europa League campaign when he came off the bench to grab a late winner against Rosenborg in Glasgow.
"Leigh has played his part, absolutely. He set us on the road," he said. "All the goals were important. All the victories added to the nine points.
"Rosenborg showed that they are a good side too going to Leipzig and getting the point there. It was a tough group with two Champions League teams in Leipzig and Salzburg."
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here