Neil Lennon had some bad news for the Celtic support on Wednesday, when he confirmed to BBC Sport that James Forrest will be out of action for the rest of the year after having an ankle operation.
The 29-year-old will be out of action for six to eight weeks at least. That is a real blow for Celtic. That gives Celtic a bit of a problem on the right-wing. Mikey Johnston is also just recovering from an operation.
However, Forrest’s misfortune could lead to a Celtic opportunity for a player who has been on the fringes of the first-team squad – Karamoko Dembele.
Been in squad for Europa League
The Hoops starlet, who is just 17, has made only one first-team appearance this season, against Kilmarnock. However, he has been in the Celtic squad for both of the Europa League group stage games thus far. He has been an unused substitute against both Milan and Lille.
The fact that Dembele has been in the squad for two vital games shows that he remains in Neil Lennon’s plans. Now with Forrest out for so long, he could get more first-team football opportunities. He is capable of playing on the right-wing. Therefore, Neil Lennon could consider giving him a chance after the international break.
Dembele’s situation is an interesting one, as his contract expires at the end of the season. The Hoops would be truly disappointed if such a promising player left the club when he looks to have such a bright future in the game.
Should be given chance if manager believes in him
Would more first-team opportunities influence Dembele to pledge his future to Celtic? Who can say.
However, even if his contract is running down, if Neil Lennon feels that the player can do a job then he should be given the opportunity to do so.
Only time will tell if Dembele gets a chance for Celtic this season. However, if he can help the Hoops win 10 in a row he should get game time.
In other news, Scott Bain has disclosed that he had to convince himself that he belonged back in the Celtic first-team.
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