There are four days left of the summer transfer window in Scotland and, for Celtic, you would imagine they are going to need most of them.

The Scottish transfer window closes at 5pm on Thursday, September 3, meaning Martin O’Neill and his recruitment team still have time to add to a squad which remains short in a number of areas.

There is also an interesting quirk to the deadline this year.

England shuts up shop at 11pm on Tuesday night, two days before the Scottish transfer deadline. That leaves Premiership clubs with a small window of opportunity where they can still bring players in but clubs south of the border cannot.

It could be particularly useful when it comes to the loan market.

There will inevitably be players at Premier League and Championship clubs who spend Monday and Tuesday waiting for moves which never materialise. Once the English deadline passes, some of those players will need to look elsewhere.

Celtic should be watching closely.

It has been a strange summer at Parkhead. Everyone could see the squad needed fairly major surgery after last season, yet Celtic have made only four signings heading into deadline week.

There is a difference this time. The players who have arrived look, on the evidence so far, to be of a better standard than some of the recruitment we have watched in recent windows.

The problem is there simply aren’t enough of them.

Celtic still need another midfielder. They could do with a goalkeeper capable of properly challenging Viljami Sinisalo and there is no natural cover for Kieran Tierney after Marcelo Saracchi was allowed to leave without his move being made permanent.

Given Tierney’s fitness record, that one feels particularly risky.

Then there is right-back.

Alistair Johnston is expected to remain out until at least October or November, which has left another hole that Celtic need to consider. You could make a reasonable case for adding another winger as well.

Are Celtic going to sign five players between now and 5pm on Thursday? I’m sceptical.

But they cannot come out of this window without doing more.

The Champions League collapse against LASK only reinforced how little room there is for injuries or a loss of form in certain areas of this squad.

My expectation would be at least a couple of loan deals before Thursday afternoon. Perhaps Celtic have something more ambitious up their sleeve, but given how late we are in the window, loans look the most obvious route to getting bodies through the door quickly.

Tuesday night could be important.

Once the English transfer deadline passes, Celtic will know exactly which players have been unable to find the moves they wanted down south. There may be an opportunity there if the club are prepared to move quickly.

They have until 5pm on Thursday to find out.

CeltsAreHere will have all the latest Celtic transfer news, rumours and confirmed deals right through to the Scottish transfer deadline.