Ange Postecoglou is standing by Kyogo Furuhashi with the striker without a goal in four Champions League appearances.
The striker started the season on fire, highlighted by his hat-trick against Dundee United but since picking up a shoulder injury in the opening minutes of the Glasgow derby he hasn’t been quite the same.
Kyogo came off the bench in the next match against Real Madrid but it has been heavy going for the hoops in recent weeks although they have won eight out of nine matches in the SPFL.
Celtic still have a heavy schedule of fixtures before the World Cup Finals but Postecoglou told the Daily Record that he has full confidence in the former Visel Kobe man:
I don’t think people can be too harsh on him. Last week he set up Jota for a fantastic goal that he created. Champions League goals are hard to come by but I don’t think he has been any less threatening.
He is still getting into good positions and he has been unlucky on a couple of occasions and I still think he really causes teams problems.
Domestically we have had to juggle him a bit. People forget he was in great form and then hurt his shoulder which kept him out for a few weeks so he was a little bit disrupted. He is still a player who does very well for us.
Giorgos Giakoumakis has been sharing the striking role with Kyogo this season with the former VVV Venlo striker scoring the last gasp winner away to St Johnstone last Saturday.
With Hibs, Motherwell and Hearts to be faced over the next eight days a return to scoring form for Kyogo would be very welcome.