KARAMOKO DEMBELE made his first appearance of the season against St Mirren on Wednesday night.

The 19-year-old suffered a nightmare scenario at the beginning of the season when a completely unnecessary tackle during a pre-season friendly down south resulted in a major injury.

The winger needed to undergo surgery and then lengthy rehab to get back fighting fit. It’s taken three quarters of the season for Dembele to get his first minutes and even though it was a cameo, it’s a huge moment for the player.

Taking to social media, Karamoko posted an image of his return with the words ‘Thank God’ as the tagline.

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Karamoko is out of contract with the club in the summer. There’s no sign yet of a new deal being struck to keep the player at Celtic Park beyond this season.

It’s clear Ange wants the winger to feel included and is hoping a deal can be reached. Right now, the youngster has one foot out the door.

Neil Lennon’s use of youth players during Karamoko’s vital development was a major issue. There were also rumours Dembele refused to go out on loan to a lower league side last term.

Can Ange convince the player to stay? Or will he even attempt to try and convince Karamoko? The manager has been on record several times saying he won’t sell Celtic to anyone because Celtic should sell itself.