Celtic kicked off their pre-season journey with a trip to face Ayr United at Somerset Park on Friday night.

The match ended 1-1 and was every bit the early pre-season affair everyone expected it to be. A fitness exercise, an opportunity for young players to catch the eye and nothing more.

Kyogo Furuhashi was the Bhoys goalscorer after Odin Thiago Holm won a penalty in the Ayr box from a clear trip.

The manager used a massive 23 players across the 90 minutes, using the half-time interval to field an almost entirely different team to the first half.

However, defender Gustaf Lagerbielke didn’t feature. Brendan Rodgers opted for Stephen Welsh, Maik Nawrocki, Dane Murray and Lenny Agbaire to get game time in the heart of the defence.

Gustaf Lagerbielke picks up a training knock

Unfortunately for the Swede, he has picked up an injury that will hamper the early stages of his pre-season preparations.

Rodgers explained post-match [Scottish Sun]: “Gus had a twist on his ankle and knee in training so he’s probably going to be a week out.”

It’s not an ideal situation. Lagerbielke is a player who needs a strong summer if he has ambitions of a Celtic impact.

Nawrocki is another now nursing an injury. He hobbled off in the first half of the Ayr encounter and Rodgers confirmed it was a calf issue after the match. He is set to be assessed in the coming days.

Both 2023 signings have struggled in their debut year at the Bhoys and it seems their luck isn’t changing quite yet.

Nawrocki appears to have the best chance of making it but his consistent injury issues are a concern.

Lagerbielke meanwhile could be destined for an exit after almost leaving the club during the January transfer window.

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