Celtic problem as five players could be out for a month

Celtic currently find themselves in a pretty good spot but at the same time, it is way too early to take anything for granted. The seven-point lead is a significant one but with so much of the season left to be played, it is not one that cannot be overturned. Of course, Brendan Rodgers will know that very well.

One tournament that could prove to be a major headache for the manager is the upcoming 2024 AFC Asian Cup. It is scheduled to be played from January 12 to February 10 of next year.

That is a solid month of action. On top of that, one also has to take into consideration the training camps that teams are expected to undergo before the tournament and the short breaks that players should be given after it.

Celtic could end up missing several players for a month or more due to the AFC Asian Cup. And it will be interesting to see how they cope without them.

Celtic problem as five players could be out for a month

Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate impressed recently while on international duty for Japan. Daizen Maeda is a regular feature for the Blue Samurai as well. On the other hand, the likes of Oh Hyeon-gyu and Yang Hyun-jun are expected to be in the mix for the South Korean national team.

Marco Tilio has played a bit for the Australian national team too. But considering that he has yet to play a single minute of football since moving to Celtic, one would not expect him to be selected for the upcoming Asian Cup. Of course, things could change in that regard if he starts playing a lot more over the coming months.

South Korea and Japan are two of the favourites for the Asian Cup and are expected to make deep runs in the tournament. So, Celtic could be missing key players for a month or even more.