Celtic have been dealt a major blow as Patrick Roberts is set to be out of the side for a long period. The Manchester City loanee lasted just 11 minutes on the pitch as he hobbled off following a hamstring problem in a 1-1 draw against Motherwell.
It is being assumed that the player could miss up to three months. Roberts has gone back to Manchester City for treatment and the severity of the injury will only be known once necessary tests are done.
Apparently, it’s not a new injury as it is the reoccurrence of a similar incident, which happened back in October. But as of now, Brendan Rodgers has to find an alternative plan to reshuffle his tactics.
He said, “Patrick is going to be out for a period of time.
“It could be anything up to three months. He is going back down the road to Manchester City to have another scan on it.
“It is just unfortunate. We will wait for the scan result but he will certainly be out for the foreseeable future.”
Celtic fought hard to bring Roberts this time following his impressive spell last season. In 32 matches he accumulated a combine of nine goals and 14 assists which was pretty humongous as Celtic went on to dominate the Scotland by claiming the domestic treble.
But this season it has been a different story altogether. Roberts had his fair share of problems with injuries and the latest one has led his football career to a stop gap. He is a key part of Rodgers’ plans and his unavailability would hit them hard.
His absence could be seen as a major loss to Celtic but has he been that prolific this time? Roberts has managed three assists in five starts this season in the Scottish Premiership but somewhere down the line, that edge and crispness have been missing.
The 20-year-old ended the last campaign on a brilliant note as he seemed to have put the accelerator very fast as Celtic had a blistering finish to the season. But it has been a disappointing season for Roberts although it could be a boon in disguise for James Forrest.
The 26-year old’s performance in this season has been full of positives and he could cement his place in the starting lineup if he can impress the gaffer.
So Celtic seem to have enough resources at their disposal to deal this situation so it shouldn’t be a problem for the Hoops at all.
