£2m Celtic star hit with freak elbow injury and now facing weeks out

Celtic could take another major step forward in their hunt for the Scottish Premiership title on Saturday afternoon, but Brendan Rodgers will have to deal with an unwanted injury absence over the next few weeks.

Celtic look to respond to criticism with strong domestic finish

The Bhoys are well on course for a domestic treble and could land a fourth successive league title this weekend should a victory over Kilmarnock be coupled with Aberdeen taking three points against Rangers on Sunday.

Nevertheless, Brendan Rodgers has warned against his side becoming complacent following a shock 1-0 defeat at St Johnstone last weekend, stating: “It’s happened too many times. I’ve seen a trend now with us, and it will be interesting between now and the end of the season in terms of mentality.”

Enduring a frustrating run of form, Celtic have lost three of their last seven Scottish Premiership encounters. Admittedly, the malaise could be attributed to the struggle of a busy fixture schedule during a long season, but there is clearly a need for an improvement in performances.

Heeding that warning, the Bhoys are already looking to strengthen in the summer transfer window. Mathias Kvistgaarden is back on the agenda at Parkhead after trying and failing to land the £13.5-million-rated forward in January.

Newcastle United’s Martin Dubravka has been mentioned as a Celtic target, but that one feels a slightly more unlikely proposition amid Kasper Schmeichel and Viljami Sinisalo’s presence between the sticks.

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Back in the present, Rodgers may now have to alter his plans slightly over the next few weeks following news that one of his stars has been ruled out due to an unfortunate turn of events.

Celtic star Yang Hyun-jun ruled out due to injury

Speaking ahead of Celtic’s home clash against Kilmarnock, Rodgers has revealed that Yang Hyun-jun has been ruled out for two weeks minimum with an elbow sprain following a freak collision during the Bhoys’ defeat at St Johnstone last weekend.

He stated: “We’ve got Yang that will be out, he’ll have his arm in a sling for a few weeks, obviously he’s had a nasty fall and a slight sprain of his elbow, but everyone else should be okay.

“Hopefully, he’ll be back before the end of the campaign, I think, as I said, it’s two weeks in a sling and then we’ll assess it from there.”

Brought in for £2 million from Gangwon FC in 2023, the 22-year-old’s absence may pave the way for James Forrest to earn a slot in Rodgers’ starting line-up during the run-in amid Nicolas Kuhn’s inconsistent form.

Either way, there are plenty of options for Rodgers to pick from in the wide areas as his side aim to put the seal on yet another domestic treble.