I have to say that I expect Dedryck Boyata will play some part in this evening’s game against Suduva – and it should help him that the game is away from home.

I think if the game had been at Celtic Park it would have been far tougher for him to come back into the team after everything that has gone on these past few weeks.

But while I can understand why people feel that way, ultimately what you have to say is that Boyata is an asset to the manager and an asset to the team.

I still think that there will be a deal done to get him out of the club before the window comes to a close. It seems likely that he will make the move but Celtic really need him to play in order to sustain the value that he has.

I also think that he probably knows he was in the wrong. If you are contrite enough and appreciate that you’ve got something badly wrong then you need to hold your hands up and apologise.

So long as he has explained himself to his team-mates and he has heard what the manager thinks of it then you have to get on with it.

There won’t be the same reaction to him taking to the pitch in Lithuania as they could well have been at Celtic Park.

Meanwhile, his potential replacement, Scott McKenna, is a guy who caught my eye when I watched Aberdeen against Burnley.

I think he is an old-fashioned centre-half with a lot of potential but right now you would have to say that Aberdeen hold the aces when it comes to negotiating.

And for all that the Parkhead side were upset at how the John McGinn saga played out, I think this is an entirely different thing.

McGinn was affordable which is the biggest reason why people were irked that the move didn’t come off. Aberdeen, though, have McKenna tied up on a five-year deal. They are adamant that they do not wish to sell. Every player has his price and I think that McKenna would be a good acquisition for Celtic, but it looks as though they are going to have pay a premium fee to get him.

I like the way that McKenna attacks the ball from a defensive point of view. Burnley are a good team and they played a couple of strikers up against him, but I thought he coped very well with it.

With only eight days remaining in the window now the clock is ticking when it comes to bringing in new additions.

And while there won’t be the enticement of Champions League this season, you would think that Celtic have enough now to ensure that they guarantee Europa League football.

It is not what everyone would chose. It doesn’t have the same level of glamour of the financial rewards of the Champions League but at the same time there are some excellent teams in the tournament.

I often think that there is a malaise felt across the club, a kind of hangover, if you don’t make it into the Champions League but the very fact that there is still a qualifier to negotiate in order to get Europa League football means that Celtic don’t have any time to feel sorry for themselves.

This is where they need to regroup now and make sure that they go out and get a positive result. It’s a busy couple of weeks coming up and weeks that will be crucial to the season.