BRENDAN Rodgers spoke last night of his sympathy for Daniel Arzani and Eboue Kouassi, both of whom are feared out for the season with cruciate ligament injuries. Arzani, the 19-year-old Australian wonderkid on a two-year loan from Manchester City, crumpled to the turf at Dens Park clutching his knee in midweek as he made his debut from the bench against Dundee.
While he will undergo further scans overseas in the next few days, he is believed to have sustained an ACL injury, similar to the one which cut short Eboue Kouassi’s involvement in Saturday’s Betfred Cup semi-final against Hearts. In which case, both men have probably kicked their last ball this season.
“We are just awaiting final confirmation but at this moment in time it looks like they have both done their cruciates," said Rodgers. “It is so unfortunate, especially for young players like that who are trying to make their way in the game. Eboue is a boy that has been unfortunate - one because of injuries, he has picked up a number of them since he has been in here. And two, because of the form of Browny [Scott Brown], he hasn’t really been able to play as much. I show my faith in a player like that by playing in Leipzig and in the semi final, it is just unfortunate he has now picked up the injury.
“For young Daniel, it has been a period of adaption coming in but he has slowly been getting better and better and the timing was perfect for him to come in the other night to come on for half an hour 35 minutes and get a feel for it," he added. "It was so innocuous, he went to press at a throw in, went to change direction and his boot sort of stayed on the ground and he went the other way. He will get some more scans at the beginning of next week abroad. Then there will be a plan in place for him in terms of where he does his rehab but he has settled in really well up here and has great connection with the group.” Rodgers welcomes back Youssuf Mulumbu for the match against Hearts, although most of Celtic’s lengthy injury list will not be fit to resume until after the international break.
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