Celtic: Rodgers must react to injury blow by unleashing 5 ft 9 ace
The Hoops have been hit with a possible setback during the international break.
A concerning update has emerged on Celtic attacker Liel Abada as the Israel international has been hit with a possible blow this week.
What’s the latest on Liel Abada’s injury?
According to Israel-based outlet One, the Hoops forward has suffered a muscle injury that will keep him out of their matches during the break.
The report claims that the young wizard underwent an MRI to evaluate the extent of the problem and it has been confirmed that he has torn his quadriceps.
However, there is no mention of exactly how bad the tear is or how long he is expected to be out of action for. That is a concern for Brendan Rodgers as the talented ace could now miss a spell of games at club level if the injury keeps him out beyond this week.
Who could replace Liel Abada?
The Northern Irishman brought in nine new players to bolster his Celtic squad during the summer transfer window and this means that he has plenty of options to pick from.
| Player | Type of deal |
|---|---|
| Nat Phillips | Loan |
| Paulo Bernardo | Loan |
| Luis Palma | Permanent |
| Gustaf Lagerbielke | Permanent |
| Maik Nawrocki | Permanent |
| Hyun-jun Yang | Permanent |
| Hyeok-kyu Kwon | Permanent |
| Marco Tilio | Permanent |
| Odin Thiago Holm | Permanent |
These moves have provided the former Leicester City boss with plenty of strength in depth throughout a number of positions, including the wide areas.
With this in mind, Rodgers must now unleash Hyun-jun Yang from the start to take Abada’s place on the right wing as that is the role where the South Korean gem has played more times than any other throughout his career.
Whereas, Palma, who arrived from Greek side Aris FC on a permanent basis, has only played four career matches on the right and is predominantly a left-sided attacker.
How good is Hyun-jun Yang?
The 21-year-old magician has been an inconsistent performer in recent seasons but he has already shown glimpses of his huge potential since making the move to Parkhead over the summer.
Rodgers brought him off the bench with 20 minutes to go against Aberdeen last month and the talented youngster caught the eye with a fantastic cameo.
As per Sofascore, Yang completed four of his four attempted passes and created two ‘big chances’ for his teammates, one of which led to Matt O’Riley’s goal to finish off the scoring at 3-1.
The dynamic winger showed off his dribbling ability by beating his man in the box with some trickery before cutting the ball back to the penalty spot where his Danish teammate was waiting to roll the ball into the back of the net.
He has made four Scottish Premiership appearances in total and is yet to score his first goal for the club but his aforementioned performances against the Dons illustrated the creative impact that the youngster can have at the top end of the pitch.
How many goals did Yang score for Gangwon?
Prior to his transfer to Celtic during the summer transfer window, Yang played for Gangwon FC in his home country and showcased his goalscoring ability from a wide position.
The 5 foot 9 star averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.02 across 36 K League 1 in 2022 as he contributed with eight goals and five assists, whilst the exciting hotshot also created six ‘big chances’ for his teammates.
His fantastic displays throughout the 2022 campaign led to him being named the Young Player of the Year in South Korea, which shows how highly he was rated within his own country at the time.
However, the diminutive gem then failed to build on that impressive form during the first half of 2023. He averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.66 and managed one goal and one assist in 20 K League 1 appearances before his switch to Parkhead.
His inconsistent performances for Gangwon did not deter Celtic as they went ahead with their swoop for his services and they will be hoping that the summer signing will be able to replicate or improve upon the form he showed in 2022, rather than 2023.
Yang’s display against Aberdeen was incredibly promising and suggests that the potential is there for him to be an excellent option out wide for Rodgers with his ability to make things happen in the final third.
His goalscoring form in 2022 also suggests that there could be goals to come from the 21-year-old talent to go along with his creative qualities.
This could make him a superb replacement for Abada on the right wing for however long the Israel international is out for with this muscular tear.
How many goals has Abada scored for Celtic?
The 21-year-old sensation has racked up 29 goals in 106 competitive appearances for the Scottish giants since his move to the club from Maccabi Petah Tikva in 2021.
Abada has hit double figures for goals in each of the last two full Scottish Premiership campaigns and has proven himself to be a reliable attacking option on the right flank in recent years.
He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.01 across 34 top-flight matches last term as the superb winger contributed with ten goals and five assists, along with ten ‘big chances’ created for his teammates.
