Celtic boss Neil Lennon has admitted that loanee Oliver Burke is facing a battle to be fit for Saturday’s Scottish Cup final.
The Hoops can complete the treble treble with victory over Hearts, having already beaten Craig Levein’s side 2-1 in league action last Sunday.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, Lennon confirmed that Burke – who has made 19 appearances since joining from West Brom in January – has an injury concern ahead of the clash.
“We’re hoping [Burke] will train [on Friday],” the manager said. “He’s got a slight irritation in the knee, on the patella, so we’ll see how he is tomorrow.”
OPINION
While Burke has featured a lot for Celtic since moving on his temporary deal from the Baggies, he is not one who you would say could make the difference for the Hoops against Hearts on Saturday. His loan spell has seen him play a good number of games but not contribute a great deal, and many Celtic fans will be glad to see the back of him after Saturday. He was especially absent in his last game, the 2-1 league victory over Hearts in which Neil Lennon opted to field a great number of youngsters. One of those who caught the eye was 16-year-old Karamoko Dembele, who – funnily enough – replaced Burke at half time at Parkhead and made much more of an impact than his teammate. If Burke does not make the cup final, it won’t be the biggest worry, but as always it would be better to have him as an option.