Rangers and Celtic suffered defeat at the weekend – the Light Blues were felled by Motherwell at home, while the Hoops floundered to a 2-0 loss against Hearts under controversial circumstances. How can they bounce back?
The Gers have some bad news on the injury front – one of their most talented youngsters is out with a potentially long term muscle problem. Meanwhile, another Celtic player is expected to leave the club in the summer.
20-year-old Rangers starlet Oscar Cortes could be out of action for a period of three months with a muscle injury. It’s another blow for a squad that is dangerously close to a legitimate injury crisis.
Regarding Cortes’ injury, Rangers commentator Stevie Clifford said: “You get that blow with the [Oscar] Cortes news just before [the game with Motherwell]. I think at the moment in world football we’re the only football club that can have a guy that kind of walks off holding his hamstring signalling he’s ok to find out that he’s potentially out for three months. I think our run of luck with injuries just finally caught up with us because there wasn’t a spark on Saturday.”
Yuki Kobayashi could leave Celtic in the summer transfer window
Liel Abada isn’t the only Celtic player jostling for a Parkhead exit – Japanese defender Yuki Kobayashi could also leave the Bhoys, amid reports from Football Insider that he has been told to look for a new club.
Kobayashi has not made a single appearance for Celtic this season across all competitions. In the league, he has only been featured on the bench once – and that was back in September. He has been left out of the matchday squad for each of Celtic’s remaining games in the Scottish Premiership that they have played thus far. As such, it makes sense to cut ties – it seems evident that he is not in Brendan Rodgers’ plans.
