Alex McLeish doesn't expect Karamoko Dembele to get much game time for Celtic ahead of the expiry of his contract in the summer. 

The lowdown

As it stands, Dembele will be leaving Celtic at the end of the 2021/22 campaign when his deal expires.

The 19-year-old is a product of the Hoops' academy and has made nine appearances in total.

He missed Ange Postecoglou's first 26 league matches in charge with a serious ankle injury.

But in the midweek win over St Mirren, he finally made his first appearance under the Australian, coming on for the final six minutes.

The latest

Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish said Postecoglou would favour the players who have already earned his trust.

The outlook, then, could be somewhat bleak for Dembele in the coming months.

"I get the feeling with Postecoglou that he isn't going to fire in the young ones and that means Dembele is not part of his plans," the Sky Sports pundit said.

"He is focusing on the guys that he has invested in and put some thought into.

"He already knows his strategy for Celtic. When he knows what he can get out of people, these are the guys that he tends to play.

"That is just something I've noticed from observing him over a few months."

The verdict

There's little doubt about Dembele's potential. L'Equipe (via 67 Hail Hail) have previously described him as a player with 'extraordinary acceleration' and agility, and predicted that he will enjoy a 'great career'.

The immediate problem he faces at Celtic is competition for the right-wing role in the form of Liel Abada.

The summer signing has contributed 11 goals and eight assists since he arrived - more league goal contributions than anybody else in the Bhoys' squad (via BBC Sport).

Given that Abada is only 20, he may have that spot locked down for a number of years, giving Dembele all the more reason to consider a departure.

In other news, Celtic's latest target has emerged.