"He is a really important part of the team," Callum McGregor said of Yang Hyun-jun, and Celtic are about to find out how much that view holds up in practice. The winger will miss the club's next four games while he is away at the Asian Games. He has already given Celtic a proper return this season, with 2 goals and 1 assist in 7 games.

McGregor's warning on Yang

McGregor added that Yang is "a big player to miss, but obviously we wish him the best." That is a fair read of where the 24-year-old stands now. He agreed new terms in the summer, and his Saturday evening winner at St Mirren was his second goal this season. His first came in Wednesday's win over Aberdeen.

The output is modest in raw terms, but it has come in a short spell of involvement. Yang has played 377 minutes this season and posted a 7.15 average rating in the Premiership. He is doing more than filling a bench role, and Celtic will be without that direct running for a run of four matches.

Celtic's cover while Yang is away

Celtic are in a strong run, with five wins from five and 13 goals across those matches, so the squad is carrying momentum into the gap. Rory Loy said, "Celtic will want to win the treble this season. Behind closed doors, I'm sure all the players and the manager feel they've got the squad to do it." Pat Bonner also pointed to the bench after the Paisley win, saying the players who came on "kept that tempo up."

Sebastian Tounekti replaced Yang in Paisley and missed an excellent chance from a very similar position to the one Yang used for his goal. That small moment is the sort of thing Celtic will want to keep solving while he is away. Jota is also nearing a return after a long-term knee injury in April 2025, which gives the squad another option before the four-game spell is over.

McGregor's point is the one that matters most: Yang has moved quickly from possible exit talk to a player Celtic now expect to miss. The next test is how well they cover him while the Asian Games run their course, with the winger absent for four matches.

Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →