Edouard not expected to feature for Under-21s

ODSONNE EDOUARD is unlikely to make his playing comeback for France Under-21s in Georgia tonight — despite undergoing treatment on his thigh injury since meeting up with the squad. Having missed Celtic’s past two games, the striker confounded expectations by reporting for duty at the national-team base in Clairefontaine. He subsequently travelled to Georgia on Wednesday but is thought to be struggling for fitness ahead of tonight’s Euro qualifier and Monday’s match with Azerbaijan in Sumgayit. With Edouard said to be suffering from ‘discomfort in the upper thigh’, Nice striker Amine Gouiri is in line to take his place. The fact that Edouard scored seven goals in four matches for the French Under-21s makes his likely absence a major blow for manager Sylvain Ripoll. Meanwhile, former Celtic boss John Barnes believes now may be the right time for them to cash in on the player. Edouard, who cost Celtic £9million from Paris SaintGermain after an initial year’s loan in 2018, has two years left on his current contract. Speaking after Neil Lennon questioned the commitment of some unnamed players last week, Barnes told

BonusCodeBets: ‘Odsonne Edouard is not going to be the deciding factor on whether Celtic will win (the title) this year. It’s all about the team and the team’s attitude. ‘If he wants to stay, great, but if there are doubts, it’s better to let him go. I think Neil Lennon is ready to move things around although he hasn’t mentioned any names. ‘But Celtic need to get their squad sorted, whether that’s with or without Edouard.’