OVER AND OUT
Crocked Dembele in cup final agony
MOUSSA DEMBELE will miss the Scottish Cup final after receiving the results of a scan on his hamstring.
The 32-goal Celtic striker has been told his season is effectively over due to the injury sustained during last Sunday’s 2-0 semi-final victory over Rangers.
Dembele hobbled from the field during the
first half after chasing down Ibrox defender David Bates and was sent to a specialist on Monday. It is understood the results showed damage likely to sideline the 20-year-old for around five weeks. With the May 27 showpiece against Aberdeen falling four weeks on Saturday, Dembele is set to look on as his team-mates pursue the last leg of the Treble. Signed from Fulham for around £500,000 in compensation last summer, the France Under-21 international’s value has rocketed during an exceptional first campaign for Brendan Rodgers’ men. His close control and precise lay-off set up Callum McGregor’s opening goal against Rangers at Hampden last weekend but that is expected to be his final contribution this term. Rather than try to rush Dembele back, Celtic’s
priority will be to ensure that he is fully fit for pre-season training resuming in mid-June ahead of the Champions League qualifiers the following month. His absence will open the way for Leigh Griffiths to lead the line in Saturday’s Premiership clash at Ibrox and for the remainder of the run-in. Speaking at the weekend, Rodgers expressed confidence that the Scotland forward would seize the opportunity. ‘Yeah, he’s fit and available,’ said the Parkhead manager. ‘He came on against Rangers (on Sunday) and made a really good impact on the game. ‘I’m fortunate in that I have two really good strikers I’m happy to stick in and play. With Moussa being out, it’ll give Leigh the chance to come in. ‘When he’s on the pitch for a length of time, it always looks like he’s going to score.’