Albian Ajeti looks to have blown his chance of a move to Sturm Graz after yet another injury ruled him out for the season, with the Austrian side having less than a week to make their loan permanent.
And he looks certain to return to Celtic for next season.
The Swiss international moved on the last day of the summer transfer window with Sturm Graz securing him on a season-long loan with an option to buy him on a long-term deal.
But he's now back in his Swiss homeland receiving treatment for a calf injury and won't play again for the Austrian Bundesliga runners-up again this season in their two remaining league games.
Ajeti cost Celtic £5 million in 2020 from West Ham, but he only managed to score eight league goals in two seasons and had no future under Ange Postecoglou. But he will still have a year left on his contract when he returns to Scotland.
He hasn't played for a month and scored just one league goal in Austria since October.
But Sturm Graz have insisted they have yet to make a final decision on his future. Managing Director Andreas Schicker said: "We have a purchase option with Albian Ajeti that is in place until the end of May.
"We intend to make a decision on him soon."
Meanwhile, Celtic have been handed a pre-Hampden boost after Alistair Johnston returned to training.
Johnston has been out since taking a heavy knock to his lower leg during Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final win over Rangers on April 30.
The Canada right-back will not feature in Wednesday’s cinch Premiership encounter with Hibernian at Easter Road but is in line to return against Aberdeen on Saturday, seven days before the cup final against Inverness.
Johnston was back in training on Tuesday morning and came through the session with no problems.
Manager Ange Postecoglou said: “All things being equal, if he gets through the rest of the week’s training he should be available for the weekend’s game.
“We will hopefully get him some game time at the weekend and assess it from there.
“He has worked really hard to get back with the cup final in mind. He has got back really well and worked hard with the medical team and looked after himself really well.
“It was good to see him training and good to see him part of it because he has obviously been a big part of the second half of the year.”
