Why does Kelechi Iheanacho always seem to disappear? That’s the million-dollar question Celtic fans want answered.
One minute, Celtic’s summer signing is coming off the bench in the Europa League against VfB Stuttgart, and then he is nowhere to be seen.
Before Celtic’s win at Aberdeen on Wednesday night, Martin O’Neill stated that Iheanacho’s fitness is ‘a bit of a concern’, despite playing in two European matches the week before, and then he was left out of the matchday squad for the Pittodrie trip altogether.
No wonder Chris Sutton was calling out the situation regarding the 29-year-old post-Aberdeen, as the writing is on the wall with the Brendan Rodgers signing.
“Kelechi Iheanacho, you don’t know where he is,” said Sutton. “That is so odd in itself.”
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Should Celtic hand Kelechi Iheanacho a new contract?
No time for the nice guy act, Kelechi Iheanacho can’t play for Celtic again
Yes, Celtic have striker issues, and this won’t go down well with some, because Iheanacho has showcased decent quality when on the pitch.
But for your fitness to be a ‘concern’ when it’s March is a problem, a major problem. Not forgetting that he has only played five Premiership matches this season.
Then add in the fact that his Sevilla contract was ripped up, after his woeful Middlesbrough loan spell, that’s why he became a free agent in the summer.
Criticise the likes of Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu all you want, at least the effort and desire to try and make Celtic better is there from those two.
You seriously question that with Iheanacho, and the Hoops can’t afford to carry any passengers, and he certainly is one.
“Kelechi Iheanacho, you don’t know where he is,” said Sutton on Sky Sports Football (04/03/26). “That is so odd in itself. How can he come on and play 20 minutes against Stuttgart, then he wasn’t involved in the squad that weekend?
“Then another 20 minutes against Stuttgart. Then not involved again. I don’t know what’s going on there.”
Iheanacho’s timeline since returning from injury
Iheanacho suffered a recurrence of his hamstring injury during Celtic’s League Cup final defeat to St Mirren in December; Wilfried Nancy was in charge at the time.
The next time he would return to the pitch would be in the Europa League, a 22-minute cameo during Celtic’s win over FC Utrecht, including his first set of minutes in the Premiership against Falkirk days later.
But since then, it’s been stop-start, stop-start, no injury reported, but in the matchday squad, on the pitch, and then out of the matchday squad.
- Returns from injury against Utrecht on 29 January
- Plays six minutes against Falkirk on 1 February
- Not in the squad for Scottish Cup tie vs Dundee
- Not in the squad for Premiership clash vs Livingston
- Not in the squad for Premiership clash vs Kilmarnock
- Plays 19 minutes in the first leg of the Europa League playoff against VfB Stuttgart
- Not in the squad vs Hibernian
- Plays 12 minutes in the second leg of the Europa League playoff against VfB Stuttgart
- Not in the squad for Premiership clash vs Rangers
- Not in the squad for Premiership clash vs Aberdeen
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