CELTIC will monitor summer target Alfie Doughty after the Charlton midfielder suffered a hamstring injury that could keep him out for four months.
The 20-year-old left-sided performer had been on Neil Lennon’s pre-season wish list, but two reported bids – with the latter around the £800,000 region – but the English third-tier outfit refused to sell.
Doughty is out of contract in June next year and will be free to sign a pre-transfer contract with the Hoops in January.
The champions would have to shell out for a development fee which is likely to be around the £150,000 mark for the London outfit, but any proposed cross-border switch has been plunged into uncertainty.
The enterprising youngster tore a hamstring last month in the Addicks’ 2-0 win over Oxford which may transpire to be his last game for the club.
Manager Lee Bowyer, speaking to The Daily Record, confirmed: “It doesn’t look good at all. I’m not going to go into too much detail, but from what I understand, he’s going to be out for a while.”
Doughty was on Lennon’s radar when it became clear he would be looking for reinforcements on the left-hand side of his team with the summer exit of Jonny Hayes, the long-term injury to Mikey Johnston and the inexplicable antics of Boli Bolingoli that led to the Belgian moving on loan to Turkey.
Diego Laxalt was a late arrival on a term-long temporary deal from AC Milan and there is already talk of the Hoops attempting to make the Uruguayan’s stay in Glasgow permanent.
However, Doughty will remain in focus as far as Celtic are concerned, but, naturally, that is dependent on the player’s recovery from injury.
