Neil Lennon had some good news for Celtic fans ahead of Wednesday night’s trip to Motherwell in his pre-match press conference.
He disclosed that Mohamed Elyounoussi is fit and in the squad for the game. “Elyounoussi is back” the Celtic manager said, as quoted by the Herald.
Elyounoussi’s return can only be good news for the Hoops. He has been an excellent performer – when fit – since joining the club on loan from Southampton.
Was excellent before suffering injury
He wowed in the first-half of the season, scoring seven goals in 13 games and generally adding a new attacking dimension to the Hoops play.
However, his foot injury has meant that he has only played one game for Celtic in the past two months, and he only lasted 45 minutes in that game, the Betfred Cup Final.
The good news is that for the most part in his absence, Celtic have kept on winning.
However, the Hoops have slightly changed their playing formation to a 3-5-2, and it has been paying dividends, as the Hoops have been in an excellent run of form recently.
That might mean that Elyounoussi might have to wait to make his return to the starting line-up. When you consider how good he was in the first-half of the season, that could be considered a bit of a surprise.
Spell on bench might be the best thing for player
However, when returning from a long-term absence, it might take a while for Elyounoussi to get back to his best. Therefore, a spell on the bench might be the best thing for the player at this moment in time.
He can build-up his recovery by making a few substitute appearances before Neil Lennon feels that Elyounoussi is able to start a game for the team.
There is no doubt that the player can be a huge asset for the Hoops between now and the end of the season, if he can stay fit.
However, he may to bide his time before he returns to the starting line-up.
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