Tim Sperliotis
Daniel Arzani has had a forgettable start to his Celtic first-team career, coming off on a stretcher 18 minutes into his debut.
Early reports have suggested that Arzani has torn his ACL, however scans will confirm this in the coming days. The youngster was seen thanking the fans and walking at the end of the game, which may be a good sign.
This would have big ramifications for the Socceroos, given the Asian Cup is only a few months away. After he impressed in his World Cup cameos, Arzani was on the brink of more game time for his country.
There is no doubt that he would have had more opportunities to shine in the Asian Cup, with Australia going in as one of the favourites to win the tournament.
Socceroos manager Graham Arnold has seen the wonderkid play before in the A-League and knows what he is capable of. Regardless of when he returns, he will be considered for national team selection.
In terms of his Celtic career, it is a frustrating and unlucky blip that will set him back. Arzani had impressed in the short amount of time he spent on the field, which may have convinced manager Brendan Rogers to give him extended minutes. He will unfortunately have to wait a little longer to make his mark.
Let’s hope Arzani can recover from his injury, as the youngster has a bright career ahead of him. He will have to show resilience and try to come back even stronger. Being a youngster and only having a couple of years of first-team experience, he may be heartbroken if early reports are correct.
There are many footballers who have suffered a similar injury and have returned to top form. Arzani can seek inspiration from these players and know that sometimes the lows need to be overcome to reach the highs.
If the injury is not as serious as it sounds, we will have a lot to look forward to this January in the Asian Cup.
