FILIPE JOTA will not be rushed back into first-team action by boss Ange Postecoglou.
The Portuguese winger was replaced at the interval in the dramatic late, late win over St Johnstone in Perth and missed the 2-0 loss to RB Leipzig and the 6-1 success over Hibs.
There is no chance of Jota making his return in tonight’s Premier Sports League Cup quarter-final encounter against Motherwell at Fir Park.
Also missing in Lanarkshire this evening will be central defenders Carl Starfelt and Stephen Welsh plus midfielder David Turnbull.
ON THE BALL…Filipe Jota in action against St Johnstone in Perth – his last first-team appearance.
Postecoglou revealed: “The squad is pretty much as is from the weekend.
“Everyone is fine from the Hibs game and the ones who were out, are still out.
“Carl Starfelt is still a couple of weeks away. We will see how Jota goes. He and David Turnbull are the closest, but won’t make the Motherwell game.”
Montenegro international winger Sead Haksabanovic, who had a storming 45 minutes in the destruction of the Easter Road team before being kept in after the interval with the team 3-0 ahead, is fit to face Well.
BY THE LEFT…Sead Haksabanovic fires in a drive in the 2-1 win over St Johnstone.
Postecoglou, speaking to The Herald, added: “I will go off the medical advice. When the physios tell me they are ready, we will include them.
“Sead Haksabanovic is fine. He could have played on, but we were in control of the game and it made sense to take him off at half-time.”
The former Rubin Kazan flanker has hit the ground running in his Hoops career as Postecoglou encourages his team to attack on the flanks with players such the Sweden-born Haksabanovic, Jota, Liel Abada and evergreen James Forrest pushing for first-team places.
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Motherwell v Celtic this evening – only in your champion CQN.
