Celtic’s Europa League campaign picked up momentum on Thursday night with a 2-1 victory over Sturm Graz, but the joy was dampened by an early injury to Kelechi Iheanacho, one of the team’s standout performers this season.
The Nigerian forward limped off just minutes into the encounter after appearing to pull up with a muscle problem, prompting manager Brendan Rodgers to introduce Johnny Kenny as a substitute.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the game, Rodgers admitted the injury could be serious.
“The first two [Iheanacho and Johnston]? It doesn’t look great. It looks like hamstrings. But okay, that’s what happens,”
the Celtic boss said, acknowledging the limited options he had later in the match.
“Well, our problem was, in the second half, that we could only make one substitution.”
Iheanacho, who joined Celtic in the summer, has delivered consistent performances, scoring three goals and providing one assist in eight appearances across all competitions.
The 29-year-old had also found the net in the Europa League before Thursday’s setback, but his latest injury likely rules him out of Sunday’s Scottish Premiership clash against Hearts.
With Daizen Maeda still unavailable, Rodgers now faces a selection headache, as Johnny Kenny remains the only fully fit striker in the squad.
