ANGE POSTECOGLOU has said he expects there to be departures from Celtic during the January transfer window as he looks to move on some fringe players and seeks development opportunities for others.

The Celtic manager has previously stressed the need to bolster his playing squad by bringing in new players during the winter window, but he is also looking to trim some unnecessary fat while he has the chance.

When asked how many players he expects might be leaving, Postecoglou said: "That depends, some guys will be going on loan and some will be moving out, that's only natural as everything progresses.

"Some of that will depend on the players themselves and where they feel they are at.

"Circumstances change and I expect some players will be moving on.”

Despite that admission, Postecoglou is still of the opinion that quality reinforcements will also be required if Celtic are to meet their goals in the second half of the season.

"It doesn't change my view,” he said. “I still think we need more, squad-wise we are not where we want to be.

"It's only natural that we wouldn't be. We've added 12 players and it would have been too much to bring in any more than that. I knew at the end of the transfer window that it still wasn't enough.

"Nothing has changed although I'm really pleased we have managed to get through this period thus far.

"We've got a lot of games to go and most of the players are up and running and available.

"We are starting to get to a good level. The resilience we showed coming back from Germany and playing three days later is a good sign for the team as well.

“My view is that we can still improve the squad and we want to improve the squad in January and the club is supporting me in that.”