Celtic starting new season weaker than last term - Sutton

Chris Sutton feels his former side Celtic are starting the new season with a weaker squad than last term.

The ex-striker has also warned the Scottish champions they could be taking a Champions League risk if they do not strengthen soon.

Celtic have brought back Kieran Tierney and signed Sweden midfielder Benjamin Nygren and Japan attacker Shin Yamada, but fellow summer signings Hayato Inamura and Callum Osmand could take time to reach first-team level.

The Glasgow side sold Nicolas Kuhn - one of last season's star performers - to Como and will be without injured winger Jota for a long-term period. Left-backs Greg Taylor and Jeffrey Schlupp have also departed.

"If you look at the squad going into the season, it's still a little bit light," Sutton said prior to Celtic's league opener with St Mirren on Sunday.

"Brendan Rodgers, everything I've seen him hint and say, he feels the same. The fact Brendan talked about ambition, he is always quite calculated in what he says and the words that he uses.

"I think that's a little warning shot across the bows to say 'we need to bring players in'. It's fair to say the squad aren't as strong right now as they were at the end of last season, and that's not ideal. But there's still plenty of time left in the transfer window.

"If you look back at last season, Celtic won the league in the first half of the campaign. They won 16 of their first 18 games, set off like a house on fire and there was real momentum going into the season from pre-season. It doesn't quite feel like that at the moment.

"And they didn't have the burden of the Champions League qualifiers last season and we know how enormous they are for the club."

Celtic will have to win a play-off to avoid dropping into the Europa League and the first leg will be on August 19-20.

"Celtic have been in this position before where they are signing players when the Champions League qualifiers have already begun," Sutton added. "That's not ideal.

"You don't want them learning on the job when the Champions League has started and then missing out. We know how massive these games are. If you're slightly off it, then you can get beat.

"We will find out at the end of next month whether Celtic have done enough. It's okay for pundits to say 'the board need to do more', but at the end of next month if Celtic bring another few players in of quality which is going to lift the squad, all well and good.

"If not, then clearly people are going ask questions about why they are weaker now than they were at the end of last season."