The 2 Celtic stars facing loan exit jeopardy as last chance saloon beckons for star after 'scramble'

Brendan Rodgers has admitted that Mikey Johnston or Yuki Kobayashi could've gone out on loan in the summer transfer window as their Celtic futures face jeopardy.

Johnston burst through the youth system at Lennoxtown and into the first-team picture in Rodgers' first spell as manager, with the 2018-19 season proving fruitful with five goals in just 14 league games for the then-19-year-old. But chances have been hard to come by since, making just 33 appearances in the meantime in the green and white shirt.

Kobayashi, on the other hand, was frozen out of the Scottish Premiership squad list for the season due to the amount of competition for places at centre-back, with at least six players ahead of him in the pecking order at the back. And Rodgers admitted that the duo were set to go out on loan in the summer - but could be afforded a last-chance saloon before their futures are decided upon.

Rodgers said: "For me with Mikey it was just about being fit. Before the window there was a bit of scramble about maybe going out on loan and he was coming off a really nasty back problem where he hadn't trained.

"For me between the end of the window and January he had to prove that he could stay fit, stay robust and build up his football fitness and we'll see if we can get him some game time, because he's a talented player.

"Thankfully he's been able to do that, gone away with the national team and got minutes and we'll see between now and January if he gets that game time. He gets the chance to prove that every day in training and he looks strong."

On Kobayashi's behalf, Rodgers admitted that whilst he was performing in training, the club are clad with centre-back talent - and there simply isn't space for the Japanese defender.

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