Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu has said it is 'not clear' whether Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi will be back in action before the end of March. 

The lowdown

Japan are due to face Australia and Vietnam in a pair of World Cup qualifiers on 24 and 29 March during the season's final international break.

Australia are just three points behind Moriyasu's side coming to the final two rounds of fixtures in the Asian qualifiers, so both Japan and Celtic will be eager to have Furuhashi back as soon as possible.

The 27-year-old hasn't played since Boxing Day, when he suffered a recurrence of a hamstring problem 15 minutes into a Premiership game against St Johnstone.

The latest

Moriyasu revealed that he had spoken to Ange Postecoglou and received assurances that Furuhashi's recovery was going as planned.

The Japan coach is not ruling out a return for the forward next month, but admitted that the 27-year-old will need to be assessed in the coming weeks.

Moriyasu told Japanese outlet Gekisaka (via 67 Hail Hail) about Furuhasi: "He's not ready to play but his rehab is proceeding on track. It's not clear [whether he'll be ready for] the next call-up, but I want to look at his condition and make a decision on that.

"I spoke to Ange and Celtic's CEO and GM, but they had so much praise for how the Japanese players have performed, and it made me proud as a fellow Japanese. He told me important the next match against Australia will be."

The verdict

This is a slightly more optimistic appraisal than what Kieran Devlin offered earlier this month, with The Athletic journalist suggesting that Furuhashi may not be back until April, but it's worth stressing that Postecoglou has said that the 27-year-old is 'nowhere near' a return to training at this stage.

Celtic's European exit at the hands of Bodo/Glimt on Thursday means they have fewer games to worry about, but the timing of Furuhashi's return could still play a crucial role in the outcome of the Premiership title race.

Only three points separate Celtic and Rangers at the top of the table, and the Hoops' top scorer (with 13 goals) could be a difference-maker over the course of the title run-in.

In other news, read this journalist's Celtic transfer claim about one of Kyogo's compatriots