Ange Postecoglou has dropped an update on the injury sustained by Matt O’Riley in Celtic’s Old Firm victory last weekend.
What’s the latest?
In recent comments cited by The Herald, the 56-year-old manager revealed that, despite being withdrawn just 15 minutes after his introduction in the second half of the 2-1 win over Rangers, the 21-year-old does not appear to have sustained a serious injury.
Speaking about the current condition of the Denmark U21 international, the Hoops boss said: “Matty got a bit of a decent knock. He probably could’ve soldiered on but with the game being as it is and we’ve got a bench now that can make a difference, we thought we would take him off and just protect him.”
Great news for Celtic
Considering just how impressive O’Riley has been for Celtic since his £1.5m move to Parkhead back in January, the news that the midfielder does not look to have sustained a serious injury is certainly great news for the Bhoys.
Indeed, over his 11 Premiership appearances this season, the £405k-rated dynamo has been in fantastic form, scoring one goal, registering three assists and creating four big chances for his teammates, as well as taking an average of 1.2 shots and making 2.6 key passes – the third-most in the league – per game.
These returns have seen the 21-year-old who Kieran Devlin claimed has been “8/10” in every game he’s played for Celtic average a rather remarkable SofaScore match rating of 7.34, ranking him as the seventh-best player in the top flight of Scottish football.
As such, while it is true that the return of David Turnbull and the presence of Tom Rogic and Reo Hatate in the middle of the park means the loss of O’Riley would not exactly have been a disaster, Postecoglou’s claim that the youngster does not appear to have sustained any long-lasting damage is nevertheless fantastic news for the club – as the former MK Dons starlet has already proven that he is one of the most exciting young talents in the Hoops squad.
AND in other news: Ange could unearth Celtic’s next Hendry in 18 y/o prodigy who’s “making real strides”