WITH Stuart Armstrong having his medical in Southampton and that deal just waiting on the formalities, there looks like being another departure from the Celtic squad this week.
Curiously, given his dislike of the artificial playing surfaces that are allowed in the Scottish Premiership, Brendan Rodgers looks set to this week send out a Celtic player on loan to a club playing on the plastic.
Kristoffer Ajer went to Kilmarnock on a six month loan in Rodgers’ first season in charge on the condition that he would be played as a central defender, rather than in the midfield role that he had previously played.
That seemed to work out just fine for Rodgers as he now has a first pick central defender and one that is the most comfortable on the plastic pitches – this season they will be used by three teams, Killie, newly promoted Livingston – likely to be managed by former Celtic striker Kenny Miller – and Hamilton.
And it is Hamilton who look likely to take a Celtic player on loan this week with Kundai Benyu set to join the Lanarkshire club on a six month loan. Hamilton are confident that the deal will proceed this week and Brendan Rodgers will hope that the 20 year old, who has made just two appearances for the Hoops, will pick up plenty of valuable first team experience.
Rodgers was impressed by Benyu, who has been capped twice by Zimbabwe, on his early showings in training when he arrived last summer.
“He’s been very good. He’s surprised me, to be honest. We knew he was a good player. You see what we’re trying to build here in terms of players being technically gifted.
“But they have to have good mobility and good physicality. And he has that. He’s played with a nice little edge, he’s competitive. And he’s got a confidence.
“We will see how he develops. Initially, the plan was to have him in, thinking he can get an idea of how we work and then go on loan.”
The player was then loaned out to England to play for Oldham Athletic before returning to Lennoxtown last week but it looks like a second loan spell – this time to Hamilton is on the cards.
“Given time, working as hard as I can in training and listening to the gaffer and his advice, I think I’ll be able to get in the team as much as I can,” Benyu stated.
Like Ajer, his road to the Celtic first team is going to have to take a detour to play on the plastic and hopefully he’ll come back ready to make an impact.
