Hassan injury puzzler as Celtic winger starts for Egypt

Celtic were handed a surprise on Friday evening when Haissem Hassan started for Egypt despite his international manager previously indicating the winger was unavailable through injury. The Celtic winger joined up with his international colleagues but an update from the Egypt camp appeared to suggest that an injury had been picked up.

Hossam Hassan had claimed the 24-year-old required “intensive treatment” and that his recent problem had made it impossible for him to join the squad.

Yet the Celtic attacker was subsequently named in Egypt’s starting XI against Angola, lining up alongside Mohamed Salah and completing around an hour of the goalless draw.

The episode inevitably raises questions over the exact nature of the fitness issue which had apparently ruled Hassan out only hours earlier. For Celtic, however, the most significant development is that the winger was fit enough to play competitive international football.

Martin O’Neill will hope Hassan emerges from the international programme without further problems ahead of Celtic’s return to Premiership action against Motherwell. It has been an uninspiring start to life in Glasgow for the winger but it is hoped that he will fond a purple patch and help Celtic’s form pickup.

Hassan’s injury will be cleared up when Celtic return to action and given how poor Celtic have looked in the last few weeks. The Hoops are already monitoring Yang Hyun-jun, who has confirmed a hamstring issue while representing South Korea.