Boyata may not play again this year

Celtic could be without Belgian defender Dedryck Boyata for the rest of the calendar year.

The Scotsman reports that there are fears among those at the club that the defender could be sidelined for several weeks after limping out of Sunday’s League Cup final.

Boyata was replaced just after the hour mark at Hampden Park after suffering a hamstring injury.

Jozo Simunovic came off the bench on Sunday and is likely to replace Boyata in the starting XI during his absence.

Should Boyata miss a prolonged period of time, he would almost certainly not make it back in time for the crucial Europa League clash against Red Bull Salzburg later this month.

The report claims that despite the worries about the defender’s injury, Brendan Rodgers remains hopeful that he could feature again before the end of the month.

After a disruptive summer, Boyata had worked his way back into Celtic’s squad and once again become a key figure at the back.