Celtic winger Haissem Hassan is reportedly set to sit out Egypt's friendly clash with South Africa and head back to Glasgow. An early return to Glasgow is hoped to allow the winger to be fit for the Hoops' clash with Motherwell in seven days' time.
Hassan sealed a £6million switch to Parkhead from Real Oviedo in the summer, with the deal potentially rising to £9m in add-ons. The 24-year-old enjoyed a breakthrough campaign for his country at the recent World Cup and has shown glimpses of his ability at Celtic.
Egypt duty and return plans
Hassan featured for Egypt in their 5-0 win over South Sudan and 0-0 draw with Angola in Africa Cup of Nations qualifying earlier this week. Reports from the Middle East claim that boss Hossam Hassan has decided to leave the wide man out of the Pharaohs' home fixture against South Africa on Sunday after consulting with medical staff.
Yang's Asian Games contribution
Meanwhile, Yang Hyun-jun has been hailed as the most important player in South Korea U23s' victorious squad at the Asian Games, despite making only one appearance during their run to the gold medal. The 24-year-old sat out most of the tournament with a minor hamstring strain and watched on as Lee Min-sung's side edged hosts Japan 1-0 in the gold medal final.
The victory ensures Yang and the rest of the squad are now exempt from the nation's mandatory military service. The Celtic favourite has revealed how he helped Tottenham youngster Yang Min-hyeok from the sidelines.
He said: "Yang Min-hyeok was going through a difficult time and when he was thrust into action after I got hurt and he was putting a lot of pressure on himself. I tried to do whatever I could to help him stay focused on the match at hand and so I volunteered to share a room with him and told him to not worry about anything else and I think the coach acknowledged that."
"I could see that he beat himself up for every mistake he made on the pitch and I told him he did not have to be so hard on himself. I reminded him that he just has to stay consistent. He is a smart guy and he understood everything. All I did was to tell him a few words."
"I was so proud of him. He is a gifted player. I think he felt pressure to live up to expectations when Tottenham signed him early, but I think he was able to put those things out of his mind and stay locked in on the match in the final. I was so happy to see that."
Off-pitch leadership
Yang added: "I knew after the first match I would not be able to play my part so much and since I could not help the team on the pitch, I tried to bring guys together off the pitch. Some of us playing in Europe joined the national team late and there was some sense early on that we were not really together as a team. So I tried to talk to the guys about life outside football and get them on the same page. And I bought them coffee whenever I could!"
Speaking after the triumph, Lee Min-sung singled Yang out for praise, stating: "If I had to name someone who made the biggest contribution to the squad, it would be Yang Hyun-jun. He was injured in the first game, but his dedication from the sidelines was a great help to the players who played."
