Sebastian Tounekti might be picking a good time to spend a few weeks away from Celtic.
The 23-year-old winger was signed by Brendan Rodgers on deadline day and instantly established himself as a regular starter for his new club.
However, despite an impressive start, his form has trended in the wrong direction. Since the arrival of Wilfried Nancy, a move to a wing-back role hasn’t reaped rewards so far.
Celtic’s season hit a new low with a 3-1 defeat in the Premier Sports Cup final against St Mirren, marking three defeats in three under Nancy.
And though we haven’t heard from many Celtic players since the game, Tounekti has broken his silence.
Michel-Ange Balikwisha: flop or unfairly treated?
Sebastian Tounekti sends Celtic message before AFCON
Tounekti is headed to Morocco for this winter’s AFCON, where Tunisia are aiming for a deep run in the competition.
Both he and Michel-Ange Balikwisha could potentially be unavailable until the middle of January, leaving Celtic even lighter in that area of the pitch.
READ MORE: Pat Bonner makes Kelechi Iheanacho admission after injury for Celtic against St Mirren
Tounekti’s form may be being criticised by many, but given that he has started all three games, he is clearly valued by Nancy.
Less likely to be a miss is Balikwisha, who hasn’t started a league match for Celtic since September.
But ahead of his absence, Tounekti took to Instagram to send a message to the Hoops players and fans after a difficult week.
He said: “Gutted and disappointed not to give the fans what they deserved.
“Wishing the team all the best for the final matches of the year.
Sebastian Tounekti’s Celtic message before AFCON absence
Born in Norway, Tounekti represented the nation of his birth at youth level for four years before being handed his first Tunisia call-up in 2021.
Tunisia are looking to make up for a disastrous performance in the last edition of the tournament, when they finished bottom of a group with South Africa, Mali and Namibia.
Hoops fans can catch Tounekti’s first game of the tournament on December 23rd, against Uganda.
Celtic’s summer 2025 signings and their performances so far
Of Celtic’s signings in the summer, Tounekti has played the third most minutes this season – Kieran Tierney has played the most, despite struggles with his fitness.
Benjamin Nygren has played the second-most, and has also had a drop-off in form since his promising start.
For Marcelo Saracchi and Kelechi Iheanacho, injuries have stood in the way of momentum, despite impressive performances when involved.
Shin Yamada, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Hayato Inamura all remain in the wilderness.
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