The 2023 Asian Cup may pose several issues for Celtic. Some of Brendan Rodgers’ key men could be set to head to Qatar in January and miss some key games for The Bhoys.
It is expected the likes of Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, and Oh will all head to the Middle East, but the first confirmed Celtic player to be going to the tournament is Marco Tilio:
📋 Bound for Qatar! ✈️🇶🇦
Graham Arnold has named his 26-player squad for our #AsianCup2023 campaign! 💪
📰 Read more: https://t.co/n50HYXgmCc#Socceroos pic.twitter.com/ZMc52e7Fgp
— CommBank Socceroos (@Socceroos) December 21, 2023
His inclusion in Graham Arnold’s 26-man Australia squad comes as much of a surprise considering he has made just two appearances for the Celts all season. The 22-year-old won’t be match sharp, but his manager thinks he can bring something to the table.
The Socceroos have somewhat of a favourable group consisting of Uzbekistan, India, and Syria. They will be expected to get out of their section and make it to the knockout rounds that run all the way until the 10th of February 2024, when the final takes place.
Celtic could be without Tilio for an extended timeframe but with his lack of minutes this season, it won’t be much of a blow for Rodgers and his team. Tilio has barely played under the Irishman despite being fit over the last few weeks and months.
This posed questions about his ability, yet his inclusion in Australia’s Asian Cup squad makes his Celtic exile all the more strange.
