Four Fixtures Will Test Celtic’s Depth Without Yang Hyun-jun
Losing a player mid-tournament is never convenient, but losing Yang Hyun-jun right now, with the winger scoring in back-to-back games and Celtic facing a brutal run of fixtures, is the kind of timing that makes supporters wince. The South Korean will miss the next four matches while on Asian Games duty, and on the evidence of the last week, we’re entitled to feel a bit nervous about it.
Four Big Games, One Big Absence
Celtic go to St Johnstone in the Premiership, then travel to face Rangers in the League Cup quarter-final, before a home Europa League opener against Ferencvaros and a home Old Firm league derby – all without Yang. That’s not a run of fixtures you want to be short of your in-form left-sided threat for, and according to BBC Scotland, that’s exactly the situation Martin O’Neill now faces.
It’s worth remembering how close this scenario came to never being an issue. Yang looked set to leave for Birmingham City back in January, only to stay, sign new terms in the summer, and start this campaign exactly as he finished the last one. His winner against St Mirren followed his opener against Aberdeen just three days earlier – as covered in our report on that Paisley comeback – and it’s that kind of consecutive-game influence that makes his absence sting.
Why Celtic Will Feel It
The BBC piece doesn’t hedge on this: Yang has made himself invaluable to the champions. Two goals and an assist in seven games this season follow on from 10 goals and three assists last term, numbers that mark a player growing into a genuinely important role rather than a squad option making up the numbers.
Width matters enormously to how this Celtic team is set up this season, and Yang would be the automatic choice on the left were it not for his international commitments. Callum McGregor made the point plainly after the St Mirren win, describing Yang as a really important part of the team and a big player to miss, while wishing him well on international duty. That’s not a captain being polite for the cameras – it’s an acknowledgement that a specific type of attacking threat leaves the building for the next month.
It’s also a timely reminder of why the club’s search for right-wing options has been such a live topic. Squad balance on the flanks isn’t just about January business – it’s about coping with exactly this kind of enforced absence in September.
Tounekti and Jota Offer Credible Cover
Celtic aren’t short of alternatives, and that’s the fair counterpoint here. Sebastian Tounekti came on for Yang at St Mirren and missed an excellent chance from an almost identical position to the one Yang scored from – proof he’s operating in the right areas even when the finish doesn’t land.
The Tunisia international scored and assisted in the 4-0 cup win at Dundee United earlier this season and racked up eight goal involvements last term, so this isn’t a case of Celtic throwing on an unknown quantity. There’s also Jota nearing a return after the long-term knee injury he suffered in April 2025, which would give O’Neill another attacking body to shuffle across a squad that’s already being assessed for its Europa League options. Bringing one international on for another says plenty about the depth Celtic have built.
The Evidence From Paisley
Celtic came from behind to beat St Mirren 2-1, and the manner of it should reassure anyone worried about the next month. Liam Scales’s equaliser levelled things after a first-half penalty, and Yang’s counter-attack winner arrived midway through the second half – but Tounekti’s response off the bench, missing by inches rather than by miles, suggests the tempo doesn’t necessarily drop when Yang isn’t on the pitch.
Former goalkeeper Pat Bonner made that exact observation, noting the players who came on maintained the side’s tempo and that Celtic are going in the right direction. BBC Sportsound’s Rory Loy went further, suggesting the squad and manager privately believe they have what’s needed to win the treble this season – which is the context that matters most here. This isn’t a crisis. It’s a squad depth test.
Verdict: Celtic Can Cope, But They’ll Miss Him
Squad depth and like-for-like replacement are two different things, and it’s important not to conflate them. Celtic have alternatives in Tounekti and, soon, Jota – but neither currently matches Yang’s blend of current form, end product and defensive graft on the left, the kind of two-goals-in-three-days influence that doesn’t simply transfer to whoever fills in.
These four fixtures, especially the two against Rangers-adjacent stakes and a home European tie, will tell us plenty about whether the squad O’Neill has built can absorb a genuine loss rather than a peripheral one. Yang will be back before long. Whether Celtic are still five clear and still in every competition when he returns is the real question. Mon The Hoops.
