‘Most concerning’: Postecoglou issues distressed update on 23-year-old Celtic star

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Ange Postecoglou considers Anthony Ralston the player he has the most concern over after an injury forced the Celtic star off against Hearts on Thursday, via quotes by BBC Sport.

The Bhoys beat Robbie Neilson’s Tynecastle outfit 1-0 at Parkhead in midweek thanks to a Kyogo Furuhashi goal on 33-minutes. The result kept Celtic above Hearts in the Premiership standings, as they opened a five-point advantage in second-place and with a game in hand.

But the night was not without issue for Celtic, as Postecoglou used all of his substitutions to replace injured players. He lost Ralston four-minutes after the full-back assisted Furuhashi, while Filipe Jota and Stephen Welsh exited on 72 and 73-minutes.

Welsh likely sustained a muscle injury, while Jota pulled up clutching his hamstring, per The Scottish Sun. Postecoglou, however, felt Ralston’s injury was the most alarming for Celtic.

“Ralston is probably the one that is the most concerning,” Postecoglou said. “For him to go off, it’s probably something significant.”

Postecoglou sweating over injury updates for Celtic trio Ralston, Jota and Welsh

Postecoglou will wait anxiously for the news Celtic’s medical department provide on the injuries that Ralston, Jota and Welsh sustained at home to Hearts on Thursday.

The Bhoys will play eight further fixtures across all competitions before the year is over. They include six Premiership clashes, plus the League Cup final against Hibs on the 19th.

Postecoglou will desperately hope Ralston has avoided a serious injury, having been a key part of his Celtic plans. The 23-year-old has featured in 27 of the Hoops’ 29 games since the Australian took charge. He sat out September’s win over Ross County through injury.

He has also started each of his appearances and had played the full 90-minutes each game until Thursday. Ralston has additionally offered four goals and five assists to help the Celtic product earn his senior Scotland debut last month and pen a new contract at Parkhead.