Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou has provided some fantastic news on injured midfielder Yosuke Ideguchi.
The January signing from Gamba Osaka has been out of action over the last several weeks after suffering from a horror challenge at Alloa in the Scottish Cup.
The injury has robbed Ideguchi of being available to make an impression against the likes of Hearts, Dundee United, and Rangers respectively. He also didn’t make the club’s 25-man squad for the Europa Conference League either [UEFA].
However, thankfully, Ange has confirmed that Yosuke is back training with the first-team and should be available to face Raith Rovers this weekend.
Speaking to Celtic TV, Ange said: “Yosuke is training with the group. He won’t be ready for Wednesday but should be alright for the weekend which is promising.
“Obviously we’ve still got Kyogo and David Turnbull to get through their rehab, and even young Johnny Kenny is getting to a space where he can train with us. So we’re getting to that space [where the squad is as strong as he’s seen].
“It’s going to be important because we’re coming up to the critical part of the year. We’re still in 3 competitions and we want to do well in all 3 competitions. All of those objectives are there and we’re going to need a strong squad to get there.”
Yosuke Ideguchi returning quicker than many Celtic fans would’ve feared
When Ange first stated that the injury was significant, fear would’ve rushed through many of the Celtic supporters’ minds. After all, did this mean that the Japanese midfielder was going to be out for months? Was it going to ruin his season?
Apparently not. Raith is the ideal game for Yosuke to get himself back into action. It should be a routine afternoon against a side in a lower division. The kind of match that Ideguchi should be able to ease his way back into things and get a good solid 60+ minutes under his belt.
It’s incredible to think how things can change in football. One week ago we were fearing a potential midfield against Rangers involving the likes of James McCarthy and Ismaila Soro. Now, we’re set to have Ideguchi return along whilst Callum McGregor and Nir Bitton have both made an impact in the last couple of games.
There must be an element of envy when it comes to how Ideguchi has viewed his fellow January arrivals’ impact at Parkhead. Reo Hatate has become an instant hero after superb goals against Hearts and Rangers. Daizen Maeda, meanwhile, has captured the imagination with electric displays in recent weeks too.
But there are still question marks over what Ideguchi will potentially bring to Parkhead. Whether he can fend off competition from the likes of David Turnbull to get a substantial amount of minutes in Ange’s starting XI.
For now, however, it’s just great to hear that he’s close to a swift return. This is massive for the player and the club. Yet more depth in a key area of the pitch? Fantastic.
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