---
title: "Celtic: Pete O’Rourke makes Kyogo Furuhashi claim"
canonical: "https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-pete-orourke-makes-kyogo-furuhashi-claim/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Charlie Smith"
section: "Celtic News"
published: "2022-03-10T18:10:07Z"
modified: "2022-03-10T18:10:07Z"
---

# Celtic: Pete O’Rourke makes Kyogo Furuhashi claim

**Journalist Pete O’Rourke believes the continued injury absence of Celtic forward Kyogo Furuhashi is a ‘big loss’ in the title race, [GiveMeSport](https://www.givemesport.com/87981992-celtic-ange-postecoglou-suffering-big-loss-over-16-goal-star) report.**

### The Lowdown: Rangers return?

Furuhashi has played just [15 minutes](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/kyogo-furuhashi/leistungsdaten/spieler/489463) of action in Celtic’s last [14](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/kyogo-furuhashi/leistungsdaten/spieler/489463) Scottish Premiership fixtures, with Ange Postecoglou admitting last month he was [‘nowhere near’](https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/kyogo-nowhere-near-celtic-comeback-26330754) a return.

[Celtic updates!](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/celtic-updates-copy-2/)

However, [Mark Guidi](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-news/celtic-journalist-drops-live-on-air-kyogo-update/) recently stated that the forward could return to the bench at the beginning of April in time for the trip to Ibrox. Postecoglou is yet to put a real timeframe regarding the summer signing, and O’Rourke feels his absence may have dented the club’s title hopes.

### The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments

Talking to [GiveMeSport](https://www.givemesport.com/87981992-celtic-ange-postecoglou-suffering-big-loss-over-16-goal-star), O’Rourke had this to say on Furuhashi, with the race for the Premiership title heating up in the crunch period of the campaign.

\[freshpress-quiz id=”350784″\]

> “To be without his goals, movement and his intelligence, has been a big loss for Celtic. If he was fully fit and firing, Celtic would be big favourites to go on and win the league, instead of the position they find themselves in right now.”

### The Verdict: Furuhashi key?

If Furuhashi fails to return to full fitness before the season is out, you’d expect Postecoglou will have to rely on [Daizen Maeda](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/daizen-maeda/leistungsdaten/spieler/420931) and [Giorgos Giakoumakis](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/georgios-giakoumakis/leistungsdaten/spieler/234850) in a central role. Combined, the pair have played 32 games in green and white, scoring 12 goals and failing to register an assist between them.

Meanwhile, Furuhashi has contributed to [21](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/kyogo-furuhashi/leistungsdaten/spieler/489463) goals in [26](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/kyogo-furuhashi/leistungsdaten/spieler/489463) games, showing his availability could be key as Celtic look to get over the line and take back the Premiership title from their rivals.

***In other news: [‘Seems that’ – Journo now drops more Parkhead exit news on ‘horrendous’ Celtic ‘waste of money’.](https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/celtic-news/celtic-vasilis-barkas-set-for-summer-exit/)***