'That hamstring' - Sky Sports man drops Celtic int'l break claim on Kyogo ahead of trip to Ibrox

Medical expert Ben Dinnery believes Celtic won’t have a fully fit Kyogo Furuhashi until the summer, Football Insider report.

Furuhashi has been out since December with a hamstring problem but has recently been spotted back on the grass at Lennoxtown.

He was seen in the background of a training video with a ball at his feet and there is hope he could make a return to action against Rangers following the international break, leading to much excitement from those in the media.

The Japanese forward was enjoying a fine first season in Glasgow prior to his injury issues, starring in the Scottish League Cup final against Hibernian at Hampden Park.

Dinnery, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to FI and had this worrying ‘pre-season’ view in regards to Furuhashi and ‘that hamstring’ making a full recovery.

“It will depend on how much he is playing and the environment at the time.

“He has spent over three months on the sidelines. It will take a while before he gets to pre-injury levels in terms of sharpness and match fitness.

“It may be that we don’t see Kyogo hitting those pre-injury levels this season.

“It might just be an opportunity to get some minutes in his legs and test that hamstring.

“But ultimately, we won’t see a fully fit Kyogo back in that Celtic team until pre-season.”

The last thing anyone would want is for Furuhashi to come back too soon and suffer a fresh hamstring problem. On that basis, having the top scorer on the bench at Ibrox could be a wise move, with a view to a brief cameo display as an impact substitute.

There is still a lot of football to be played between now and the end of the season, with a domestic treble still a possibility, and hopefully, Furuhashi will get better and better in the final