Reo Hatate suffered an injury setback during Japan’s Asian Cup last-16 victory over Bahrain.
Hatate, who recently returned from a calf injury that sidelined him for a significant part of the season, had to leave the pitch after just 36 minutes, appearing to be in discomfort with his calf, again.
It was almost a mirror image of Celtic’s home match against Atletico Madrid.
The injury is particularly concerning for Celtic as Hatate had only just returned to full fitness. His early departure from the match raises questions about his availability for the upcoming fixtures in the second half of the season.
Japan’s coach, Hajime Moriyasu, addressed the situation in his post-match comments, saying: “I want to hear the diagnosis from the doctor. However, it hurts both the players and the team when someone gets injured, but no matter who gets injured, we need to maintain the flow of the game and win. I think today’s match gave me more confidence.” [SunSport]
Japan’s victory, which saw them progress to the quarter-finals with a 3-1 win, was achieved without further contribution from Hatate or Daizen Maeda, another Celtic player, who remained on the bench throughout the game.
The focus now shifts to Hatate’s injury assessment and recovery, with Celtic and its fans eagerly awaiting updates on his condition. The hope is that the injury is not a significant setback and that Hatate can return to action for Celtic soon, continuing his contributions to the team.
