CELTIC have confirmed Yang Hyun-jun will NOT be joining the South Korean international set-up this month.
The winger was named in his country’s squad for the AFC Under-23 Asian Cup in Qatar, a competition which doubles as a qualifier for this summer’s Olympic games in Paris.
However, the champions have informed the South Korean FA they will be decling to release the forward, as CQN forecast last week.
Yang, who was recruited from K-League outfit Gangwon FC for £2.1million in the summer, would have missed at least FOUR domestic games if Brendan Rodgers had given the go-ahead for his release.
NOW YOU SEE ME…Yang Hyun-jun in action against Hearts defender Alex Cochrane before the Celtic winger’s controversial red card in the 14th minute at Tynecastle last month.
There was no requirement for the Hoops to allow the 21-year-old forward to join up for the qualifiers which do not figure in FIFA’s international calendar.
However, if his nation win through to Olympic Finals, due to run from July 24 to August 10 this year, the flanker will almost certainly miss the start of the 2024/25 season.
Yang will be in the squad for confrontation at Ibrox on Sunday although he is likely to start the game on the substitutes’ bench with Nicolas Kuhn in line for his derby debut.
The South Korean was forced to sit out two games against Livingston and St Johnstone after his ridiculous red card in the 2-0 loss to Hearts at Tynecastle on March 3.
The club appealed against the automatic two-game ban, but they were unsuccessful in their efforts.
Rodgers has clearly decided Yang has a role to play as the season counts down with seven Premiership matches to play and a Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen due at Hampden a fortnight today.
