Kelechi Iheanacho holding his hamstring while walking off the pitch during Celtic’s Europa League match against Sturm Graz.
Celtic’s hard-fought 2-1 Europa League victory over Sturm Graz came at a major cost, as Super Eagles forward Kelechi Iheanacho was forced off early with a suspected hamstring injury.
The game had barely begun before disaster struck for Brendan Rodgers’ side. Iheanacho pulled up holding his hamstring and was immediately replaced by Johnny Kenny, cutting short what was expected to be another strong performance from the in-form Nigerian.
Iheanacho wasn’t the only player to suffer a setback. Minutes after his substitution, Alistair Johnston also limped off, aggravating a similar hamstring issue. Later in the match, Cameron Carter-Vickers joined the growing list of concerns, hobbling off near the end with an ankle problem.
Speaking after the game, Rodgers admitted the situation was worrying:
“The first two [Iheanacho and Johnston]? It doesn’t look great. It looks like hamstrings,” he told TNT Sports. “That’s what happens sometimes.”
The Celtic boss also revealed that the injury woes limited his tactical options during the match:
“In the second half, we could only make one substitution. Cam [Carter-Vickers] was struggling towards the end, but we couldn’t take him off because we had already used our three moments to make changes.”
Despite the setbacks, Rodgers praised his younger players for stepping up under pressure.
“Colby came in and grew into the game, got better and more secure as the game went on,” Rodgers said.
“Johnny [Kenny] came in, ran his heart out, and pressed the game well. He had a few moments in the box where he nearly got on the end of it. The guys came in and stood up to it really well.”
With Celtic set to face Hearts on Sunday — a crucial Premiership clash against the league leaders — Rodgers now faces a selection headache. All three injured players are major doubts, and losing Iheanacho in particular would be a significant blow given his recent run of form.
The Nigerian forward has been a key figure since joining Celtic, contributing goals and creativity that have transformed the team’s attack. Fans will be hoping the injury isn’t as serious as feared, with further medical assessments expected in the coming days.
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