Yang Hyun-jun's Impact on Celtic's Season Amid Asian Games Absence

Yang Hyun-jun walked to the touchline at full-time in Paisley with the look of a player who knows his worth. A few months ago, he was almost out the door. Now, Celtic will have to cope without one of their most influential attackers at the very moment the season starts to tighten.

Back in January, Yang seemed destined for Birmingham City. The move looked close, his Celtic spell in danger of ending before it had truly begun. Then the landscape shifted. Martin O'Neill returned for a second spell in charge, Yang stayed put, and the winger quietly became one of the decisive figures in a title and cup double.

That late surge has not faded. It has hardened.

From Fringe to First Name on the Teamsheet

The 24-year-old signed new terms in the summer and has carried his spring form straight into this campaign. He plays with the assurance of someone who knows the system now revolves, in part, around what he can do out wide.

Two goals in four days underline it. He struck in Wednesday’s win over Aberdeen, then delivered again on Saturday evening, producing the winner in a tight 2-1 victory at St Mirren. In a game that could easily have slipped away, Yang supplied the cutting edge.

His numbers back up the impression. Two goals and an assist in seven games this season, on top of last term’s 10 goals and three assists, paint the picture of a player moving from promising to pivotal. He stretches the game, commits defenders, and gives Celtic the width that has become central to O'Neill’s blueprint.

Captain Callum McGregor did not bother dressing it up when speaking to Sky Sports after the win in Paisley.

"He is a really important part of the team," McGregor said. "He's a big player to miss, but obviously we wish him the best."

The subtext is clear: Celtic are losing a starter, not a squad option.

A Sudden Gap on the Left

Now comes the complication. Yang will miss Celtic's next four matches while he joins South Korea for the Asian Games in Japan, where they will face Qatar and Saudi Arabia in the group stage.

On this form, his absence bites.

With Celtic leaning heavily on width this season, Yang would almost certainly be the automatic pick on the left flank. His ability to hold the touchline, then dart inside with purpose, has given balance to an attack that previously tilted too often to one side.

Instead, O’Neill must shuffle. The calendar offers no mercy. Celtic head to St Johnstone in the Scottish Premiership, then straight into a League Cup quarter-final away to Rangers. After that comes a Europa League home tie against Ferencvaros, followed by a home league Old Firm derby.

Four matches. Four high-stakes occasions. No Yang.

The timing could hardly be sharper. Just as he has turned himself from January almost-departure into one of the first names on the team sheet, he disappears into international duty.

Celtic will hope his form survives the trip to Japan. When he returns, the season will already have moved on. The real question is simple: will they have kept pace without him?