Celtic defender Maik Nawrocki had to be substituted out of tonight’s game away to Ayr United after picking up an unknown injury in the first half.
Nawrocki was given a chance to shine in the starting eleven of Friday night’s team after a stop-start debut season at the Bhoys.
He looked uncomfortable at the back in the moments building up to his substitution before a physio came on and made the call to take him off in the 19th minute. Youth prospect Lenny Agbaire was the player to replace him.
It’s unclear at this stage whether this was just a precaution or something more serious. Nawrocki’s lower right leg appeared to be in discomfort but he did go off under his own steam. Regardless of the issue, it’s far from ideal for the defender, who reached for a bag of ice on the sidelines after his exit.
The 2023 summer signing will have been desperate for a full, uninterrupted pre-season to try and stake a claim for a regular starting spot in the Celtic side.
Nawrocki hoping for a bigger Celtic impact
It was reported earlier in the summer that the former Legia man had rebuffed interest from his old club to stay at Celtic and push to make a bigger impact.
The 23-year-old missed chunks of the 2023/24 campaign through other injuries, most notably a hamstring concern that kept him out from August to December.
Brendan Rodgers relied on Liam Scales in his absence but this summer is an opportunity for a reset and for everyone to start from scratch again.
We’ll hopefully hear from the manager on Nawrocki’s status after tonight’s match. Everyone is hoping he can eventually show why Celtic shelled out as much as £4m for his signature.
Another spell out due to injury would raise concerns that he doesn’t have the physicality needed to be a success at the Bhoys.
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