In football, few things are as disheartening as seeing a player sidelined by a reckless challenge.
That’s exactly the situation Celtic’s Adam Idah finds himself in after a brutal tackle from Motherwell’s Liam Gordon on Sunday.
With Idah now in a protective boot, Celtic must prepare for his absence against Dundee in the Scottish Premiership this evening at Celtic Park.
Brendan Rodgers provided a glimpse into Idah’s condition during last night’s press conference, revealing that the Irish striker will not feature against Dundee.
Gordon’s shocking tackle, which left Idah’s ankle swelling after the game when took his boot off, should have warranted a stronger reaction from Motherwell’s coaching staff.
The challenge was not only dangerous but met the criteria for a red card: excessive force and endangering an opponent’s safety.
Surprisingly, Motherwell boss Stuart Kettlewell defended Gordon post-match, labelling the red card as “really, really harsh.”
Such comments only serve to highlight the disconnect between Kettlewell’s view and the reality of the tackle by Gordon.
Idah absence will be a huge blow for tonight’s game, with his impact off the bench against Motherwell on Sunday taking the game out of the Wells’ hands.
He now looks to be a serious doubt for Saturday’s League Cup semi-final against Aberdeen at Hampden, in a game where his clinical finishing could really make the difference against Jimmy Thelin’s impressive Dons.
