Ange Postecoglou reckons the only way Celtic striker Kyogo will miss the Scottish Cup Final is if BOTH his legs are injured.
The Hoops boss is confident the Japanese star will be fit to face Inverness Caley Thistle at Hampden next Saturday - despite limping out of their 5-0 win over Aberdeen. Kyogo got their title party started with a first-half brace before his replacement, Oh, grabbed a double and Carl Starfelt sparked the celebrations.
The 28-year-old made it 33 goals for the season and his manager says he’ll be ready for their Treble bid. Postecoglou said: “I don’t think it’s anything serious with Kyogo. I’ve spoken to the medical guys and we’ll see how it settles down. But at this stage, with it being a cup final - listen, he’s played in one on one leg (2021 League Cup Final v Hibs) so unless both his legs are out I reckon there’s a chance he’ll play.
“It’s the same for Alistair Johnston who also came off. He felt his injury lock but I didn’t think we’d get 90 minutes out of him today anyway. He was brilliant for the time he was on so, again, we’ll assess it. But watching him jump around the dressing-room afterwards, they all seem OK.”
Postecoglou soaked up the adulation of Celtic’s supporters as they celebrated two-in-a-row with a five-star performance. When he arrived at Parkhead, he followed legendary boss Martin O’Neill into the ground with the Premiership trophy. And the atmosphere inside Celtic Park was something Postecoglou says he’ll never take for granted.
And now he wants to repeat O’Neill’s feat of securing a domestic Treble for the club by winning the Scottish Cup next weekend. He said: “It was always going to be a good day for us. We won the title a few weeks back but when you get your hands on it, it becomes real. The boys were brilliant today. Our performance was indicative of this season, the way they have gone about things.
“They were relentless, the quality of football was outstanding and our goals were brilliant. I enjoyed the occasion - but it’s not guaranteed. All of us want days like this but you have to work hard to earn them. Everyone involved has done that and I couldn’t be prouder. It was brilliant to follow Martin in. He is a legend in his own right and a legend of this football club.
“For someone like me, it was just great to share that moment with him. It’s a constant reminder that the success we are having now is not unique. We follow in the long shadows of some unbelievable people who have represented Celtic
“Our role as custodians is just to uphold those values. It’s a special day. We do trophy days well here. I don’t think I will ever emulate Martin and he would probably tell me that before anyone else!
“It’s just about bringing another special season to this club. I know it’s had a lot of success recently – and a lot of Trebles. But that doesn’t mean you start every year with a given right to win.
“You’ve got to win every one of them and we have got ourselves into a great position. We are one game away and we have to prepare for it.”
Postecoglou’s champions also managed to beat the club’s post-war goals record for a league season by blasting five past the Dons. They hit 114 goals for the campaign, surpassing the Lisbon Lions’ tally of 111.
Postecoglou said: “I’m really proud of that. It’s what my football is about. I love my teams to play. I set my teams up to win and hopefully entertain the fans.
“The players have done that this year, they have been relentless. Just the sheer volume of goals has been incredible.
“Even on a day like this, not relaxing when it’s 3-0 or even 4-0. They want to make every moment in the game count. But we have to be even better next season. It has to be. You can’t stand still in this game. It changes very quickly.
“It’s a fine margin between having success again and not being successful at all. This team is going to improve. Most of the key players in this team, you can see them improving again.”
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