Celtic could be without Tomas Čvančara for the rest of the season, with Martin O’Neill admitting the striker may need surgery on a groin problem.
The Czech forward arrived in January on loan from Borussia Mönchengladbach, with an option to make the move permanent, but his time at the club now looks uncertain.
Speaking on Friday, O’Neill confirmed the situation is still being assessed, though the possibility of an operation is very real.
“He’s got a bit of a groin strain,” O’Neill said. “They’re talking about the possibility of getting it seen to now. We’ll have a look at that.
“When I say get it seen to, that might involve a small operation or something like that. But we don’t know yet at this minute. He has to go for some more tests.
“If he had the operation, then you definitely wouldn’t see him again. But I’d like the specialist to have another look at it.”
There is still a slim chance Čvančara could feature again before the end of the campaign, but that hinges entirely on what the specialists decide. For now, Celtic are continuing with Daizen Maeda leading the line, with Kelechi Iheanacho offering support in attack.
It’s a frustrating turn for a player who was starting to find his feet. Čvančara has contributed two goals and two assists since arriving in Glasgow, including the winning penalty in the Scottish Cup quarter-final victory over Rangers at Ibrox.
The hope had been that a strong second half of the season would earn him a permanent deal, but that now looks unlikely. With injury concerns in the mix, it would be a surprise if his parent club were willing to risk him further before he returns to Germany in the summer.
More broadly, it’s been a mixed return from Celtic’s January business. Aside from Julian Araujo and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, few of the new arrivals have made a lasting impression — and Čvančara’s situation only adds to that sense of what might have been.