Iheanacho suffers injury setback

KELECHI Iheanacho suffers injury setback after the Nigeria forward was forced off with another hamstring problem during Celtic’s Premier Sports Cup final defeat to St Mirren at Hampden Park, dealing a major blow to the club and head coach Wilfried Nancy, PUNCH Sports Extra reports.

The 29-year-old was making his first start since returning from a previous hamstring injury and had only recently resumed action, having come off the bench in Celtic’s Europa League loss to Roma in midweek.

He was handed a place in the starting line-up for Sunday’s final but lasted just 35 minutes before pulling up while chasing a forward pass near the touchline.

Iheanacho immediately clutched the back of his leg and, after briefly attempting to continue, was withdrawn as a precaution and replaced by Johnny Kenny.

The incident raised immediate concerns of another lengthy lay-off, having already missed six league matches, the Premier Sports Cup semi-final against Rangers and Celtic’s Europa League fixture against Midtjylland.

The setback comes barely weeks after Iheanacho returned from a hamstring injury sustained in a Europa League match against Sturm Graz in October.

His appearance against Roma marked his first minutes in almost two months, underlining the stop-start nature of his Celtic career since arriving in the summer.

Despite his early withdrawal, Iheanacho had shown sharpness, forcing St Mirren goalkeeper Shamal George into a strong save from a powerful header shortly before he was injured.

His time at Celtic has so far been hampered by fitness issues, with the striker managing nine appearances and three goals since joining as a free agent following his departure from Sevilla, a move completed shortly after the transfer window closed.

Celtic’s injury problems have mounted this season, with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Alistair Johnston currently sidelined, while Daizen Maeda and Auston Trusty have also spent spells out injured. Iheanacho’s latest setback further stretches a squad already under pressure.

The final itself proved difficult for Celtic, who conceded inside two minutes to a Marcus Fraser header before levelling through Reo Hatate. St Mirren regained control after the break, with John Ayunga scoring twice to secure the trophy. The defeat added to a challenging period for Nancy, who had overseen losses to Hearts and Roma in the days leading up to the final.