The close season can be a hard time for Celtic fans as they await confirmation surrounding Brendan Rodgers’ squad ahead of next campaign.
Supporters will be itching to hear about prospective incomings at Parkhead; however, there is also the challenge for the Irishman of trying to determine who deserves an extended period of observation in pre-season.
Rodgers will have plenty of time to evaluate his options, though there is intrigue over whether the likes of Bosun Lawal and Mikey Johnston, among others, will be heavily involved.
Nevertheless, there is also work to do in the case of forgotten man Marco Tilio, brought to the club from Melbourne City last summer for £1.5 million.
Making just two appearances in Celtic colours due to injury problems, the Australia international moved back to AAMI Park on loan in January, though it is unclear what the future holds for him in Glasgow.
Marco Tilio’s loan spell at Melbourne City and Celtic thoughts
Frustratingly, Tilio’s fitness problems continued back in his homeland, resulting in the winger featuring just six times, scoring once against Sydney FC [Transfermarkt].
He did open up on why things didn’t go as envisaged early into his Celtic career, stating back in February: “I went away with the under 23s and got injured. I then thought it was a week (long) injury. I signed the contract, and obviously, I was injured and out for three months.
“So it doesn’t help, and then you’re competing with eight or nine other wingers that are just as good as you, if not better, and it was always going to be a difficult road trying to get into that team of Celtic.”
Later, he added: “The first few months, I felt I got to the speed of what the other boys were at and probably deserved to play, have an opportunity to play. But there’s a lot of players there, a lot of quality, and it’s never going to be easy.
“So it was a tough six months for my football, but it’s always a learning curve for me, and we’ll see what happens in the future.”
What happens to Marco Tilio at Celtic remains to be seen
It is a strange set of circumstances Celtic are dealing with regarding Tilio, who is still something of an unknown quantity at Parkhead.
Initially, his impact in Melbourne looked promising as he earned their Men’s Player of the Month award for February, which was voted by supporters; however, his injury problems are persistent, making it hard not to feel sorry for him.
Celtic haven’t seen the best of his talent, and there is plenty of it; he is a three-time A-League Premiership champion, after all.
Either way, there is vast competition on both wings at Parkhead. The prospect of more bodies being added to the wide berths provokes more questions than answers on the subject of Tilio’s future.
What will happen next to Tilio at the club? Truthfully, it is hard to say, though fans may get an indication early on in pre-season.