Jonny Hayes out for season; Cardiff won’t bid

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JULY 19: Stuart Armstrong of Celtic celebrates his goal ,Celtic's 4th wth Jonny Hayes and Tom Rogic during the UEFA Champions League Qualifying Secon Round,Second Leg match between Celtic and Linfield at Celtic Park Stadium on July 19, 2017 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images)
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JULY 19: Stuart Armstrong of Celtic celebrates his goal ,Celtic's 4th wth Jonny Hayes and Tom Rogic during the UEFA Champions League Qualifying Secon Round,Second Leg match between Celtic and Linfield at Celtic Park Stadium on July 19, 2017 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Steve Welsh/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Some sad news came days removed from Christmas.

In the match against Dundee, Jonny Hayes received a brutal challenge from Josh Meekings in the middle of the park. After a period of time, Hayes was eventually carted off the pitch.

Both players remained injured to this day. Meekings is currently on crutches according to Dundee boss Neil McCann, while Hayes will remain out for the rest of the season.

The aging midfield suffered a huge blow with the absence of Hayes, especially since the 30-year-old was starting to find form. His goal and 2 assists on the season might not suggest the best play from Hayes, but his recent movement on the ball contributed to Celtic’s critical possession numbers.

The need for more players in the midfield has now become one of the Bhoys priorties. Rumors keep circling with the likes of Lewis Morgan and Charly Musonda signing with the Hoops come January. Morgan is an interesting prospect especially after bagging a brace against Dundee United.

While Celtic may need midfield players at the moment, they should have more than enough at the end of the season. If Hayes didn’t get injured, English Championship side Cardiff City were going to bid on the Irish winger.

More from The Celtic Bhoys

Obviously, it’s looking less likely that Cardiff will make a bid in January considering Hayes will be out for the rest of the campaign. Here’s what HITC  had to say on the recent reports:

"Cardiff City – who lost out to Celtic in the race to sign Hayes from Aberdeen over the summer – were hoping to snap the winger up in a £1million January deal.However, now he seemingly won’t kick a ball again this term, Cardiff are unsurprisingly backing away from a potential January deal and will look elsewhere."

Hayes’ injury may keep him with the Celts for now, but it wouldn’t be surprising for a side such as Cardiff to swoop in for his services come this summer.

Celtic have a plethora of current players that might find their way out in January. For now, Hayes will not be one of those players. Hope for a speedy recovery with Jonny.

Next: Must Read: Interviewing a Rangers fan

Should Celtic try to hold onto Hayes over the summer? Do you think he’ll play another game for the Bhoys? Let us know in the comments section.