Celtic has received terrible news ahead of the next two derbies against Rangers, scheduled for this month of September.
The Hoops will face their biggest domestic rival on Sunday, Sept. 13, when they travel to their stadium for the Scottish League Cup quarter-finals. A week later, on Sunday, Sept. 20, Celtic will host Rangers at Celtic Park on Matchday 7 of the Scottish Premiership.
With these two extremely important matches of the season approaching, Martin O’Neill has lost one of his key players, or at least that appears to have been made clear by his recent comments. It seems that Yang Hyun-jun will miss Celtic’s next four matches, including Wednesday’s game against St. Johnstone, the two derbies against Rangers and the visit from Ferencváros on Sept. 17 for Matchday 1 of the UEFA Europa League.
Yang is not injured but will be away representing South Korea at the Asian Games, which are scheduled to begin on Oct. 3.
Celtic Star Yang Hyun-Jun to Miss 4 Matches, Including 2 Rangers Derbies
Head coach O’Neill said via Football Fancast: “We are going to miss him. He’s in really fine form at the moment. If they don’t win the tournament, then he has to do national service. I hope they win it, but he’s signed off with a brilliant goal. He’s in great form, and he’ll work for you going backward. He doesn’t mind doing the hard graft.”
This season, Yang has already made seven appearances for Celtic, scoring two goals and providing one assist. He featured in two Champions League qualifying-round matches and has already played in all five of The Hoops’ matches in the current Premiership season.
The South Korean is in excellent form, as his only two goals came precisely in his last two matches: in the 3-0 victory over Aberdeen on Sept. 2, a match in which he played 74 minutes, and in the 2-1 victory over St. Mirren on Sept. 5, when he played 73 minutes.
Last season, the South Korean made 31 Premiership appearances, scoring eight goals and providing one assist. Some players who could replace Yang during his absence include Sebastián Tounekti, Shumaira Mheuka, and James Forrest, as all have logged minutes under O’Neill, though they are not usually starters.
“He was sensational. Sensational in every aspect of the game. Going forward, with the goals he scored, the energy, and the willingness to work back, it was a monumental performance by him,” said O’Neill about Yang back in March. He will certainly be missed.
Celtic Handed Terrible News on Eve of Rangers Derbies