The striker has tumbled out of the plans in the English Championship and is being hampered by a familiar issue

17:03, 19 Mar 2026Updated 19:38, 19 Mar 2026

Kyogo Furuhashi(Image: Manjit Narotra/ProSports/Shutterstock)

Struggling Kyogo Furuhashi has saw his Celtic injury woes resurface at Birmingham City 18 months on from his Parkhead exit.

The striker has tumbled down the pecking order at the English Championship side just months on from his £10million move from Stade Rennes. Kyogo enjoyed a glittering career in Glasgow’s East End winning eight trophies before his switch to France – but the 31-year-old has netted just three goals this term following his return to British football.

With the frontman facing the prospect of missing out on Japan’s World Cup squad, Celtic enquired over a loan deal to bring the frontman back to the Hoops. Following talks, Martin O’Neill described a deal as “unlikely” with Kyogo – who netted 85 goals for the Hoops – looking to remain at St Andrews and fight for his place.

The Hoops added strikers Tomas Cvancara and Junior Adamu on loan instead. Since that decision, the frontman has drifted further down the pecking order in Birmingham.

Striker Marvin Ducksch has kept his spot as the first-choice striker while £6million January recruit August Priske acting as cover. Kyogo had made just one appearances since the end of the January window – a 14-minute cameo in the win over QPR – and has regularly been dropped from matchday squads.

He missed out again during last weekend’s clash with Sheffield United.

Boss Chris Davies revealed that the striker has been dealing with a shoulder issue – but has simply been overlooked for the game.

He told the Birmingham Mail: “He had a bit of a shoulder issue a few weeks ago but he’s around and training.”

Kyogo dealt with persistent shoulder problems throughout his time in Scotland – with Brendan Rodgers warning the frontman that he faced a four-month layoff and surgery if there was another flare up before he joined Rennes.

At the time the Irishman said: “He’s had this issue for a long time – since long before he came to Celtic.

Kyogo Furuhashi gets treatment for an injury during his time at Celtic

“It’s something he had in Japan and he’s managing his shoulder – and from time to time it gets a little bit irritable and sore.

“He could have surgery on it, but that probably takes him out for about four months. It’s only him that can decide that, because you can see that a lot of times he gets through games fine.

“But then sometimes he’ll fall, and maybe it’ll be awkward and he has an irritation. He’s a 29-year-old man, so he’ll understand what he wants to do.”

His former boss at Rennes Habib Beye also expressed anger at the recurrence of the injury during his brief time in Ligue 1.

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