Tom Rogic is in a race against time to be fit for Celtic’s Champions League opener. The Hoops jetted out to Austria on Monday and the Aussie playmaker wasn’t part of the squad after picking up a niggle.
The Scottish Sun report that the 26-year-old hasn’t trained for the club yet this season and isn’t going out to Austria – at this point at least. It’s not clear exactly what problem Rogic is suffering from but he hasn’t played since coming off during Celtic’s Scottish Cup final victory at the end of May.
Neil Lennon’s men open their 2019/2020 campaign with a match away to FK Sarajevo on July 9th. Hoops full-back Kieran Tierney is also expected to miss the game as he continues to recover from a hernia operation.
Rogic is like a new signing
The injury blow isn’t ideal for Rogic who could do with getting a strong pre-season under his belt. The Aussie had a poor season last time out by his high standards. He netted just five times in 35 appearances and will be hoping to at least double that tally this year.
Rogic is just one of many Celtic players who will be like new signings this season, providing he plays well. The likes of Leigh Griffiths, Nir Bitton and Kieran Tierney (if he stays) all failed to live up to the hype for varying reasons last year. It makes the achievement of another treble even more remarkable.
Celtic could really do with getting Rogic fit and playing well. He gives us a link between midfield and attack that no other player does and can unlock packed defences. If we can get him back to his best it will really help our charge both domestically and in Europe.
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