Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that forgotten midfielder Nir Bitton has suffered a setback in his recovery from his major injury blow but that he is set for a return in a month’s time.
The 6’4″ (source: Transfermarkt) colossus has been ruled out of action since February this year after undergoing surgery on an ankle injury, meaning he has been forced to watch on as Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham star in his role for the first team.
However, while some Celtic fans will have forgotten he was still playing for the club, Rodgers revealed they will be reminded of what he can bring to the team soon enough.
He told the Scottish Sun: “It will probably be after the next international break (in October) before he’s back.
“He had a minor setback that puts him back a couple of weeks but he’s working tirelessly to get back.
“It will be nice to get him on the pitch. Whether or not he plays he’s a great influence on the group. He’s highly respected and we want him back ASAP.”
Opinion
As Rodgers says, there is no guarantee that Bitton will even have a role to play in the senior side when he does eventually return to action, and there will be a few Celtic supporters who would be indifferent to seeing him stay or go when January comes around. Bitton just is not at the same level as Brown or Ntcham, and with the likes of Youssouf Mulumbu, Kundai Benyu and Eboue Kouassi waiting in line, the Israeli international is quite a long way down the pecking order. Still, having him back in and around the squad in training will be a big morale boost, and if he can prove his worth there is every chance Rodgers will give him the opportunity to play in the first team once again. As is so often proven, things can change very quickly in football and while Bitton might be firmly on the sidelines for the foreseeable future, once he is back to fitness he could be battling it out back on the pitch.