MOUSSA DEMBELE is facing a five-week spell on the sidelines after scan results yesterday confirmed a tear in his hamstring.
The 20-year-old Frenchman pulled up in the opening half of Sunday’s 2-0 win over Rangers as Celtic progressed to the final of the William Hill Scottish Cup.
The Parkhead side will face Aberdeen at Hampden on May 27, and it is believed that Dembele will not be rushed back for that one so that he is fully fit for the club’s opening UEFA Champions League qualifiers in July.
Celtic will being their quest to reach the group stages of the lucrative tournament on July 11th and Brendan Rodgers will not risk the fitness of Dembele by rushing his back.
It is frustrating news for the striker who has been at the forefront of Celtic’s quest to land what would be only the fourth treble in their history.
Dembele has netted 32 goals this term so far after a season in which he has caught the eye of clubs throughout Europe with a string of performances on the big stage for Celtic.
The Parkhead side report back for pre-season on June 19, with Rodgers keen to have Dembele available.
The club are also confident that they will resist any moves for the striker this summer, with Chelsea expected to return to the table after tabling a note of their interest during the January transfer window.
Meanwhile, Callum McGregor has set his sights on making it into Gordon Strachan’s Scotland squad for the forthcoming World Cup qualifier against England at Hampden in June 10.
The 23-year-old midfielder netted the opening goal on Sunday as Celtic saw off Rangers in the semi-final of the William Hill Scottish Cup to tee up the possible delivery of a domestic treble. McGregor has yet to book up for a summer holiday and although he has maintained that decision was made without thought of the June international calendar, there is every chance that he could find himself involved after impressing in the latter half of this season.
Lauded by both his club manager and captain in recent weeks as one of the unsung catalysts of Celtic’s displays this term, McGregor could yet find himself with his first call up to the national side since 2014.
The midfielder has been capped at every level from the under-15 stage but although he was called into a senior squad three years ago when he first broke through into the Celtic team, he has yet to make an appearance. His performances at domestic level in the latter half of the season may cause that to change, with the midfielder’s growing maturity offering a plausible case for his suitability for international football.
“That would be great if it came but for me I just need to keep doing what I am doing for Celtic,” said McGregor.
“With all the different experiences that I have had, Champions League and big games, I think I would be more prepared to go in and do a job. I wasn’t sure what time we were getting off so I have deliberately not booked anything. We will see what happens.”
Scotland’s 1-0 victory over Slovenia at Hampden last month effectively kept the game against England on June 10 alive.
There were six Celtic players called into that squad, a number that prompted Barry Ferguson, the former Rangers midfielder, to suggest that Scotland fans heading to see the country in action at Hampden would require a green and white scarf.
Certainly, if McGregor’s displays for Celtic have caught the attention of Strachan then there would be nothing strange about walking into a dressing room full of familiar faces.
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