The summer transfer window officially slammed shut on Friday night and it was an eventful day for Celtic as they made three new signings for their squad.
Arne Engels, Luke McCowan, and Auston Trusty arrived from Augsburg, Dundee, and Sheffield United respectively on permanent deals to bolster Brendan Rodgers' options across the park.
Engels and McCowan were both handed their debuts off the bench in the convincing 3-0 win over Rangers in the Old Firm clash at Parkhead on Sunday in the Scottish Premiership, but Trusty was an unused substitute.
Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi, and Callum McGregor scored the goals for the Hoops, who did not have any outfield starters who were not at the club last term.
Paulo Bernardo, who was secured permanently from Benfica after his loan last term, was the only outfield player signed in the summer transfer window, whilst Kasper Schmeichel kept his fourth clean sheet in goal.
Adam Idah, Engels, and McCowan, meanwhile, all came of the bench and Alex Valle and Trusty were unused and will have to wait for their respective debuts.
This shows that Rodgers trusts his current starting XI and it may take time for his deadline day signings to work their way into the starting XI.
How much Celtic paid for Auston Trusty
The Hoops swooped in to sign the USA international from Sheffield United for a reported fee of £6m on deadline day to bolster their defensive options, after Gustaf Lagerbielke was allowed to join FC Twente on loan.
Rodgers did not have another naturally left-footed centre-back in his squad aside from Liam Scales prior to this move for Trusty, which has now provided him with two players for that role on the left side of the defence.
There may be high expectations for the former Arsenal defender because he has arrived for a whopping fee of £6m, which – per Transfermarkt – makes him the fourth-most expensive centre-back in the club's history, behind Christopher Jullien, Jozo Simunovic, and Rafael Scheidt.
However, his price tag does not mean that he should be allowed to walk into the starting XI, particularly as he has arrived at Parkhead off the back of a dismal season in England.
Trusty was part of a Sheffield United team that amassed a measly 16 points and conceded a Premier League record 104 goals as they were relegated from the division.
Appearances
32
Pass accuracy
79%
Error led to shot or goal
3
Penalties committed
1
Duel success rate
55%
As you can see in the table above, the American defender struggled as part of a poor Blades defence, with four major errors in his 32 appearances.
That came after he had won 57% of his duels and not made a single error that led to a shot or goal in 44 Championship games for Birmingham in the 2022/23 campaign, which may be the kind of form Celtic are hoping to extract from him.
Trusty may, though, find game time difficult to come by after Scales put in an Old Firm performance that should have made him undroppable for Rodgers.
Liam Scales' Old Firm masterclass
The Ireland international lined up on the left side of the defence and put in an outstanding showing next to Cameron Carter-Vickers to keep a clean sheet against Rangers.
His defensive partner endured rare struggles on Sunday, losing five of his nine duels and being dribbled past twice, and that meant that Scales had to step up and be relied upon, which is exactly what he did.
The left-footed titan won 100% (8/8) of his duels and dominated Cyriel Dessers from start to finish to ensure that his side kept yet another clean sheet.
Clearances
5
Blocks
2
Tackles
3
Interceptions
2
Duels won
8/8
As you can see in the table above, Scales made a number of key defensive interventions to protect Schmeichel's goal and came out on top in the physical battle, as he won 100% of his duels against the Rangers players.
After the match, Rodgers explained that the defender may not be the "sexiest" player but is crucial to Celtic and that they would have been lost without him in the 2023/24 campaign.
His latest masterclass in the Old Firm on Sunday reaffirmed his importance to Celtic and showed that he is currently undroppable, despite the club's deadline day splash to sign Trusty for £6m.
Why Liam Scales is undroppable
Whilst it was a terrific performance against Rangers, that one game is not the only reason why Scales should consider his place in the XI safe for now, as the centre-back enjoyed a strong 2023/24 season.
He returned from a loan spell with Aberdeen in the previous campaign and established himself as a regular starter alongside Carter-Vickers for Rodgers.
Scales played in 34 of the club's 38 Premiership matches, as the Hoops won the title, and was named in the PFA Scotland Team of the Year for his efforts at the back.
Appearances
32
34
Pass accuracy
79%
88%
Error led to shot or goal
3
1
Ground duel success rate
55%
67%
Aerial duel success rate
55%
61%
As you can see in the table above, the Irishman fared considerably better, defensively and in possession, than Trusty did in the Premier League.
Whilst it is fair to acknowledge that the American was playing in a struggling Blades team and Scales was in a title-winning outfit, there is not much to suggest that he is going to come in and immediately displace the former Dons loanee.
The 26-year-old star's superb start to the Premiership season, winning 71% of his duels and keeping four clean sheets in four games, does not suggest that his starting berth is in any danger.
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If Scales' form dips and Trusty proves himself to be an excellent option when called upon, then it can be reassessed, but – for now – the Ireland international has made himself undroppable for Rodgers at the back.