Kyogo can make surgery decision, says Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that only surgery can prevent Kyogo Furuhashi’s troublesome shoulder from flaring up again in the future, but said that missing games like the 3-1 Premier Sports Cup second round win over Hibernian will stand the Japanese striker in good stead.
Furuhashi’s shoulder — which has caused him issues since back when he played for Vissel Kobe in Japan — popped out at Easter Road last Sunday during the Premiership meeting between the teams. Daizen Maeda, his countryman, led the line in the rematch and scored twice in the opening 16 minutes to set up a home quarter-final against Falkirk.
Asked if Furuhashi would need to continue managing the joint long-term, Rodgers said: “He could have surgery, but it takes him out for probably about four months. It’s only him that can decide that. Because you see a lot of times he gets through games fine. But then times he’ll fall, maybe it’ll be awkward and he has an irritation.
“But listen, he’s a 29-year-old man now, so he’ll understand what he wants to do. But again, he’s managed it for a longer period, much longer than he’s been at Celtic. I gave him the time. We could have had him back into the [Hibs] game, but I gave him the time to miss the game and then I’ll speak to him tomorrow.
“I think he’s had this for a long time, long before he came to Celtic. I believe it’s something he’s had in Japan where he’s just managing a shoulder issue and from time to time it gets a little bit irritable and a little bit sore. I know Daizen can play as a striker. I’ve said it before, he’s played in the World Cup as a striker, so he should be able to play for Celtic as a striker if you need him.”
Maeda’s exploits through the middle — he also played a key role in the decisive third goal scored by Nicolas Kühn — may yet convince Rodgers that he does not need a third out-and-out striker to provide competition for Furuhashi and the recently returned Adam Idah.
“The last time he played as a striker for me, he scored a hat-trick in Yokohama [in a friendly against Marinos last July] and they were all fantastic goals,” Rodgers recalled. “If you look at his instinct at the goals [against Hibs] — the first one getting to the first post to finish and then the run in behind to penetrate the space, which is what I always want in my strikers. So I know that he can play there, but I know his best position or his favourite position is on the side.
“I’m looking at the players that are here now that are working so well with a great focus and very clear on what they’re doing. And we want to add to it and hopefully, and I’m sure we will do, over the next couple of weeks.”
Rodgers said he was relishing the prospect of a reunion with John McGlynn, the Falkirk manager who was his opposition analyst during his first stint in charge of Celtic.
“He’s a special guy, one of the nicest guys I’ve met in my life. When I was here the first time, he was a very loyal, supportive member of my staff. I brought him up into the technical team, so he was close with the first team, seeing how we operate. He went away and did the opposition analysis. He put so many hours, so much time into it.
“He probably thought his time had gone in management. But I had conversations with him, that you’re never too old. If you’ve got that hunger, it’s just about the next opportunity.
“I remember talking to the Raith owner at the time, to encourage him to take John, because he’d been a manager before and had done a great job. Sometimes you need that little bit of luck and opportunity in management.”
The other last-eight ties see Rangers host Dundee, The Spartans travel to Aberdeen and Motherwell take on Dundee United at Fir Park. The games will be played on the weekend of September 21/22.
Motherwell v Dundee UtdAberdeen v SpartansRangers v DundeeCeltic v Falkirk