For the most part, Celtic’s 5-2 Betfred Cup semi-final win over Hibs was an enjoyable occasion for the club and the support. However, there was one downside to the win. Boli Bolingoli, who has been excellent for the Hoops this season, was forced off injured at half-time and replaced by Jonny Hayes.
After the game, Lennon confirmed on Celtic’s Twitter account that Bolingoli might miss Thursday’s Europa League clash with Lazio.
“Tweaked his hamstring”
“He tweaked his hamstring, so we’ll have to assess him and see how he is. He may be a doubt for Thursday now” the Hoops boss said.
It would be a real blow for the player if he was to miss out on one of Celtic’s biggest games of the season. He has been an almost ever-present for Neil Lennon’s side this season, and has made the left-back slot his own.
However, Bolingoli’s absence does give a chance to another Hoops left-back. It will be interesting to see who gets the nod to start the game should Bolingoli miss out.
Most likely candidate to replace player
The most likely candidate would be Greg Taylor. He finally made his Hoops debut in the recent 2-0 win over St Mirren. It will be a good test for a player that Celtic were very keen to sign in the summer. He can show why the Hoops were so keen with a good display in Rome.
The other option is Jonny Hayes. He has featured at left-back for the Hoops on more than a few occasions this season. A game against Lazio would be his biggest test so far though. It will be a difficult enough game for Celtic without one of their most important players missing.
Neil Lennon might well have a very important decision to make about a key area of his side when he is picking his team to face Lazio.
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