Celtic head coach Brendan Rodgers has unfortunately confirmed that new signing Marco Tilio is poised to miss the start of the 2023/24 campaign through injury.
Supporters will now need to wait patiently before they are able to watch the Australia international, who arrived from Melbourne City on a permanent deal earlier this summer, in action for the first time.
Norwegian maestro Odin Thiago Holm is the club's only other fresh addition ahead of next season so far but the Hoops have until the start of September to bolster their options.
One player who has been linked with a switch to Parkhead is Manchester United central midfielder Scott McTominay, who could be a "mind-blowing" signing for the Scottish giants, as per journalist Dean Jones.
How good is Scott McTominay?
The 26-year-old titan is a superb defensive midfield player who has played over 200 times for the Red Devils to go along with 39 caps for Scotland.
Rodgers could unearth his next Nir Bitton by securing a deal to sign the Premier League colossus. Standing at 6 foot 4, the £60k-per-week ace has the height to provide a similar level of physical dominance to the former Hoops star, who stands at 6 foot 5, in the middle of the park.
The Israeli international, who played 67 matches under the Northern Irishman, was a versatile gem for Celtic as he was able to be deployed in the number six role or as a central defender.
McTominay's primary position is as a defensive midfielder but he has also been utilised as a centre-back for Scotland and described playing in that area of the pitch as "second nature".
The Red Devils academy graduate only started ten Premier League matches last term and that came after he showcased his quality across 28 starts throughout the previous campaign.
During the 2021/22 Premier League season, McTominay averaged 3.2 tackles and interceptions per match to go along with an aerial duel success rate of 67%, which shows that the towering midfielder was able to dominate opposition players in the air.
No Celtic player managed more than 2.8 tackles and interceptions combined per league appearance last term, whilst no central midfielder produced more than 2.2.
These statistics suggest that the United enforcer has the potential to replicate the defensive quality that Bitton provided during his time at Paradise. In the 2020/21 Scottish Premiership campaign, the now-31-year-old warrior made 2.8 tackles and interceptions per outing to go along with a 65% success rate in aerial battles across 12 league starts.
Therefore, McTominay, who was once described as a "monster" by ex-manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, could be the manager's next version of the terrific eight-time title winner.
Like Bitton, the strong maestro has the ability to win possession back for his team on a regular basis by disrupting the opposition's attacks, potentially more frequently than any of Rodgers' current options in those positions were able to do last term, whilst also offering versatility and a significant aerial presence.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not the Hoops will be able to get a deal over the line to sign the Scotland international before the deadline, or how serious their interest in his services is.