Kyogo Furuhashi has once again been snubbed by the Japanese national team despite his heroics against Rangers at the weekend.
The striker bagged a stunning winner for Brendan Rodgers' side in the derby to extend Celtic's lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership table.
Kyogo has not been a prominent figure in the Japanese set up in recent times though and that has continued ahead of their involvement in the Asia Cup.
Blue Samurai boss Hajime Moriyasu named his squad today and Kyogo has not been picked. This is of course a blow for Kyogo personally, but a boost for Celtic moving forward as they aim to dominate domestically in the second-half of the campaign.
Celtic duo Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate have been selected in the squad and could be missing for a month with the tournament due to start on January 14.
South Korean duo Oh and Yang could always be missing so Rodgers will be braced to ensure his side has cover for a key point in the season.
Rodgers had said: “It’s like the Africa Cup of Nations, it’s part of the deal. If you have a number of Asian players in your squad you know this might happen so it’s about dealing with it.
"It’s not a surprise. It is something you have to plan forward for and it was one of the first things we spoke about coming in here. It’s not all about the present, it’s about looking forward to each window. We have that in hand and we know what our ideas are for that."
