It’s so very ominous for Celtic’s Scott Sinclair if he isn’t chosen to replace the injured Mohamed Elyounoussi.
It’s nearly time for Celtic to kick off their Scottish Premiership title defence again.
The international break has halted the domestic calendar for a third time in as many months, but it’s only five days when the top-of-the-table Hoops get back into the swing of things.
Celtic welcome Livingston to Parkhead on Saturday but there’s already an injury concern in the form of Mohamed Elyounoussi.
The Southampton loanee – a £16 million signing by the Saints in 2018 [BBC Sport] – has arguably been Neil Lennon’s best and most influential player in recent weeks, netting seven goals in 12 outings across all competitions overall.
The Norway international returned to Glasgow earlier than expected last week following a foot injury and he’s a potential doubt for Saturday’s game.
It’s not yet known how long Elyounoussi is out for, but what we do know is that Scott Sinclair is probably finished at Celtic if Lennon doesn’t turn to him as a replacement.
Sinclair, a £3.5 million signing in 2016, has helped the Scottish giants to three successive domestic trebles but now he’s very much on the fringes of things in Glasgow, managing 17 minutes of Premiership football all season.
It’s a remarkably low number for somebody that’s been so important to Celtic down the years and it really, really wouldn’t be a good sign if Lennon continues to ignore him despite Elyounoussi’s absence.
Elyounoussi’s form is a big reason as to why Sinclair has struggled for football this season but, with him potentially out of the picture for a while, the Englishman may get a reprieve under Lennon.
If he doesn’t, and somebody like Maryan Shved plays ahead of him, then it’ll effectively confirm that Sinclair is more or less finished at Celtic.
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