Brendan Rodgers provides Kasper Schmeichel and Jota updates

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The Celtic Star

·15 de julio de 2025

Brendan Rodgers provides Kasper Schmeichel and Jota updates

Brendan Rodgers has provided updates on the current situations of Jota and Kasper Schmeichel…

Jota of Celtic celebrates after scoring the second goal during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Hearts at Celtic Park on March 29, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

The Hoops boss confirmed from Celtic’s pre-season camp in Portugal that winger Jota is not expected to be back in action until 2026. Jota sustained an ACL injury during Celtic’s title-winning party against Dundee United at Tannadice in April and has since had surgery to address the damage to his knee.

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Now recovering from the operation, the Portuguese wide-man reunited with his Celtic teammates in his home country last week and remained optimistic about his recovery during a club media interview.

Jota at Celtic’s training camp in Portugal

Although his rehabilitation is progressing well, Rodgers has confirmed that Jota will not feature for the Scottish champions until next year.

Speaking via Glasgow Times, the Celtic manager said: “He’s coming along really well. We sent him to Portugal to assess his fitness here and be with his family. And yes, the progress has come along really well.”

“I think the first 12 weeks of that injury, it’s important that you get to a point where you’re able to straighten it. He can do that. He has been in the gym. He’s got a long, long way to go. It’s going to be into next year.”

Back in May, Rodgers suggested there was a chance the 26 year-old could return within six months but acknowledged that a lengthier recovery might ultimately be necessary.

Jota is assisted by Reo Hatate. Celtic Champions 2025. Dundee United v Celtic, 26 April 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Following Nicolas Kuhn’s departure to Como, Celtic find themselves urgently needing new attacking options, a situation Rodgers openly recognised this past weekend.

He said: “There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes, there are loads of names floating about. We’re clear that we need to improve our frontline. We lost Kyogo in January, and another player with Nicolas gone. That’s a lot of goals that have gone out of the team. So for us, we need to strengthen.”

Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel applauds the fans at full-time. Celtic v Hibernian, 10 May 2025 Photo Stuart Wallace/Shutterstock

The Celtic manager also provided an update on Kasper Schmeichel following the Danish goalkeeper’s absence from Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Estrela da Amadora.

Rodgers outlined: “He’s only met up with us at the beginning of the week. So we’ll just get him moving again. He missed Saturday but will be available for the next game.”

Tomorrow night Celtic will face Primeira League champions Sporting Lisbon in their final match in Portugal before heading back home to take on Eddie Howe’s Newcastle this weekend. A trip to Italy for the Como Cup will follow that in preparation for the domestic campaign kicking off in early August.

Conor Spence

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