Aaron Mooy won’t take to the field for Celtic in Saturday’s Scottish Cup final.
The Australian international was confirmed as an absentee for the clash by Ange Postecoglou on Thursday.
“The only real absence is Aaron Mooy who will still miss,” said Celtic’s boss. (Celtic YouTube)
Mooy hasn’t taken to the field since we won the league at Tynecastle on May 7.
He came on as a substitute that day, laying on Hyeongyu Oh‘s clincher and generally looking like his old self.
But Mooy will have sat out our final five matches of the campaign, and it’s not totally clear what the issue is.
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“He’s just a bit sore from a couple of things,” was Ange’s insight when ruling his compatriot out of the recent derby at Ibrox.
Did he pick up an injury at Tynecastle? Was it at Lennoxtown? Did he just fancy an early summer holiday?
We’re unlikely to find out. In the grand scheme of things it doesn’t really matter.
Mooy’s end to the campaign, which has seen him start just once since his virtuoso display in the cup at Tynecastle, shouldn’t detract from what has been a brilliant debut season in Glasgow.
He has netted seven goals and assisted eleven more, while contributing to many other important moments.
His form between December and March was superb. He was regularly our man of the match in that period.
If he can re-find that level of consistency, we should have a very important player next season.
Mooy signed a two-year deal last summer (Celtic FC). We’ve got at least another year of him to look forward to, even if he isn’t going to feature on Saturday.
In other news, what the Green Brigade have said about a Celtic tifo at Hampden this weekend