OPPORTUNITY knocks for Yang Hyun-jun after the door was slammed in his face in Edinburgh earlier this month.
Brendan Rodgers insists the South Korean winger and Celtic will BENEFIT after his ludicrous dismissal in the controversial 2-0 loss to Hearts at Tynecastle.
Yang was dismissed early in proceedings after referee Don Robertson upgraded a yellow card to red following instructions from VAR official John Beaton to review a high-boot incident with defender Alex Cochrane.
COLLISION…Yang Hyun-jun makes accidental contact with Alex Cochrane as he attempts to flick the ball over the Hearts defender’s head in the red-card incident at Tynecastle.
It didn’t matter that the left-back appeared to instigate minimal contact with the motion of his head as his opponent attempted to flick the ball on before racing clear.
Robertson, who will be in charge of the champions’ game at Livingston on Sunday, and his sidekick Beaton were involved in another flashpoint before the half had ended as the hosts were gifted a phantom penalty-kick.
Yang’s appeal against his two-game was thrown out and he was forced to sit out the Hoops’ wins over Livingston (4-2) and St Johnstone (3-1).
Ironically, the 21-year-old wide Bhoy, bought for £2.1million from K-League outfit Gangwon in the summer, had gone into the encounter at Tynecastle on the back of a scintillating performance in the 7-1 romp against Dundee at Parkhead only four days earlier.
Rodgers, though, reckons the youngster’s enforced two-game lay-off has acted as a catalyst for January recruit Nicolas Kuhn to step in and take his chance to show what he can bring to the party.
WHISTLE STOP…it’s game over for Yang Hyun-jun as Don Robertson prepares to take action.
The Irishman said: “I can see Yang’s progress. He did great against Dundee and he has been progressing every day in training.
“We spoke to him [after sending-off]. It wasn’t his fault, it was unfortunate and, sadly, he has missed a couple of games. He will be back and feeling great.
“If anything, it also gave us the opportunity to put Nicolas Kuhn in.
“Now he looks like he has come onto his game and looking stronger. He’s a different player in training now. It’s been a great opportunity for him.“So, if nothing else, after those couple of games what we gained from that is game time for Nicolas who has shown up really well, then Yang comes back and we have two really good players for that position.”
THAT’S MY BHOY…Matt O’Riley congratulates Nicolas Kuhn on his debut goal for Celtic in the 1-1 draw with Aberdeen at Pittodrie last month.
Rodgers, speaking to the Daily Record, added: “Yang has been working on his overall game, his understanding out on the field. His analysis behind the scenes. Getting his upper body strength because it’s a physical game here and in Europe.
“Whatever league you are in in Britain, it’s physically demanding.
“He has just grown throughout the season and it’s so good to see.”
Yang, who signed a five-year deal in the summer, is hoping to get the nod to add to his 27 appearances on the dreaded plastic pitch in West Lothian to pick up where he left off in the rout of the Dens Parkers.
Rodgers now has the happy selection problem of where to fit in German flyer Kuhn, a £3million arrival from Rapid Vienna, against David Martindale’s men who will scrap for every ball as they fight relegation.
