Celtic and Socceroos’ striker Daniel Arzani Tuesday confirmed he needs surgery for a knee injury that will rule him out for the rest of the season, including Australia’s defence of the Asian Cup.
The Iranian-born 19-year-old, who turned heads at the World Cup in Russia this year, went down clutching his knee barely 20 minutes into his first game for the Glasgow side late last month.
“I received the bad news today that I will indeed need an ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) Op ruling me out until next season,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Apologies to the Celtic fans for my 20 minute cameo. This is however the beginning of my journey and I promise to be back better than ever. Day 1 road to recovery starts now.”
It is a major blow for the Socceroos who were banking on having him fit for the defence of their Asian Cup title in the United Arab Emirates in January.
They are due to play friendlies against South Korea and Lebanon this month.
Football Federation Australia said it would “continue to liaise with Celtic and Daniel regarding his injury and rehabilitation and provide support, advice, and expertise however required”.
