Brendan Rodgers has admitted that Celtic prepared for the possibility of Kyogo Furuhashi being away on international duty at the Asian Cup.
Soon after deciding the Glasgow Derby with his seventh strike of the year in that fixture Japan announced their Asian Cup squad with the Celtic striker missing.
Without any dispute Celtic fans have no doubt over who their best Japanese player is but this weekend Kyogo’s focus is on Buckie Thistle while Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda are elsewhere.
The decision by Hajime Moriyasu to exclude Kyogo has saved Celtic a massive headache but having one striker for the next four weeks is also highly risky.
Discussing his striking dilemma, Rodgers told the Daily Mail:
It’s an area we have to look at, we can’t ignore it. It’s the balance between bringing someone in to challenge while acknowledging that’s a difficult sell to someone when Kyogo has been fantastic here.
Or is it a young player who comes in with potential to improve and get better?
Those are the things that you think about, because it really is only for a short period of time that those guys will be missing. But, yeah, it’s all about availability.
It’s also one that we have been looking at for a period of time and it would have really changed if Kyogo had gone away with Japan.
That was our thinking process, that we would actually be left with no one. Him being here for virtually one game a week for a number of weeks changes the dynamic.
On February 3 Celtic travel to Aberdeen, three days later they face Hibs at Easter Road in matches with virtually no margin for error.
With Anthony Joseph reporting that contract talks are set to take place with Rocco Vata which could offer an in-house solution to the striker problem.
If Celtic want to win this league then there’s no question we need a proven striker…..
HH
We don’t know if Japan or Korea will even be involved within the Asian Cup by the time the sheep match comes around yet?
Surely we will keep an eye on the situation and see what potentially could unfold before we go diving in and just trying to get a striker just for the sake of it imo?
Already we should have enough within the squad for the next 2 games to get the winning results that’s required, within the attacking areas of the squad?
So can’t see any real move for a striker until maybe after the Ross County game, and seeing where we stand within the attacking positions within the squad imo?
Of course if some striker is available at this stage of the season that suits ourselves then fine, but could well remain unlikely in maybe actually happening imo?
We need a striker in any case.
I’d be surprised if we don’t get someone with a bit more experience than Oh, in on loan by the end of the window.
Just for the sake of it? Stop showing how clueless you are.
Remember you were the only one really happy with the summer transfer window, telling us all how prepared we were to have a great CL campaign. The squad is badly regressing and all you can do is clap.
I’m actually feeling sorry for you now.
Japan and South Korea will certainly be involved until the semis. The Asian cup is where Japan, South Korea and Australia beat up on minnows like Palestine, Lebanon, India and other such footballing power houses.
Groups are set up so those three and usually the Saudis don’t face each other until as late as possible.
If Japan aren’t there at the end it would be a major upset.
jaoan just got pooned by Iraq
p
Sounds like bull$hit from Rodger$. He knows he’ll never get another top EPL job, so he’s funding his retirement care of Lawwell and Sons Mutual Benefit Association – formerly known as Celtic Football Club. I never wanted him back, I was always suspicious of the circumstances in which he came back and now it’s panning out exactly as I feared. Pocket a few mill from Dermot and then off to Saudi for the big payday before retiring to Spain.