AZ Alkmaar will be without star winger Jesper Karlsson against Celtic on Wednesday evening, The Daily Record report.
The Lowdown: Karlsson profiled
Karlsson only joined the Dutch side last year but has made quite the impact in his 11 months at the club.
The Sweden international netted 12 times and registered nine assists in all competitions for Alkmaar last season – his best season in front of goal in his career.
The 23-year-old is at the peak of his powers with a £7.2m career-high Transfermarkt valuation, however, he won’t be up against Ange Postecoglou’s side on Wednesday evening.
The Latest: Suspended
Celtic Park plays host to the first leg of the Europa League playoff, but the visitors will be without Karlsson.
The Daily Record shared a story on Tuesday morning, revealing Karlsson is serving a suspension following his red card against Rijeka in the Europa League group stages last season.
That has carried over to the current campaign, and as it is their first fixture in Europe, the winger will be missing in Glasgow.
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The Verdict: Huge
No Alkmaar player contributed to more Eredivisie goals than Karlsson’s 20 last season, so his absence is a huge boost for Postecoglou and his Celtic side.
With home advantage and the visitors without one of their key men, Celtic may see this as a real opportunity to take a first-leg lead ahead of their trip to the Netherlands next week.
A first-leg lead could well be crucial, especially as the Hoops failed to defeat FC Midtjylland in the Champions League after only managing a draw at home.
In other news: Leeds keen on another Celtic ace alongside Leo Hjelde.