Celtic have decided they need more time before making a decision on the future of trialist Erlend Hanstveit.
Defender set to remain at Parkhead on a trial basis
Celtic have decided they need more time before making a decision on the future of trialist Erlend Hanstveit.
The Brann Bergen defender is currently in the middle of a week-long stay in Scotland, during which he is hoping to earn a permanent deal with the reigning SPL champions.
He will be available on a free transfer in January and is desperate to get something in place before he finds himself without a club.
Hoops boss Gordon Strachan is expected to include the Norwegian full-back in his travelling party to face Hibernian on Sunday, but is wary of throwing the 27-year-old into the first-team fold too soon.
Fitness
"We've had two days with Erlend," Strachan said.
"It's been a month since he played, which is a long time, so we'd like to keep him here a bit longer and have a look.
"He'll come with us to the match at Easter Road and see what it feels like to go to a game with the group. He's mingled well with the lads and there are things we like there. But we have to investigate it a bit more.
"Would we like to extend it beyond the week? If we could, but the problem we have is that there are games to play.
"We were able to do more intensive things in training this week because we didn't have a game. But we have Villarreal in midweek, so we won't have the scope to test Erlend as much as we'd like."
Impressed
Hanstveit remains optimistic over his chances of earning a contract, but is refusing to get complacent in his pursuit of a switch to Parkhead.
"I've been impressed with the club's training facilities and, of course, the stadium, where I was taken for a tour," he told the
Daily Record.
"The people at Celtic have been brilliant with me since I arrived.
"I don't want to say much more about the move at this stage. We will just have to wait and see.
"Training has been okay so far and I hope I'll do well during the last bit of my stay."
