Nafisa“This is absolutely brutal” was the reaction from sections of the Celtic support after news emerged that Johnny Kenny’s season is officially over just hours before the massive Old Firm showdown against Rangers at Parkhead.
Bolton Wanderers confirmed the young Celtic striker suffered knee ligament damage during last weekend’s defeat to Luton Town, bringing an abrupt and painful end to what had become an excellent loan spell in England.
The timing could hardly feel worse for supporters who had started building genuine excitement around Kenny’s progress away from Glasgow.
After struggling for regular opportunities during the first half of the season under Martin O’Neill, the Irish forward looked revitalised following his move to Bolton in February. He quickly became a key figure in Steven Schumacher’s side, scoring six league goals and adding three assists in only 14 League One appearances.
Now that momentum has come crashing to a halt.
The injury occurred during Bolton’s 3-2 defeat at home to Luton and concerns were immediately raised after Kenny was forced off. Those fears have now been confirmed, with the striker ruled out for the remainder of the campaign and any potential play-off fixtures.
For many Celtic supporters, the update felt particularly cruel given how much Kenny had started rebuilding belief around his long-term future at Parkhead.
Earlier in the season, he had shown flashes of promise with goals against Falkirk, Dundee United and Livingston, but consistent starts became difficult once Kelechi Iheanacho rediscovered form and Daizen Maeda locked down his place in attack.
The move to Bolton looked like exactly what Kenny needed.
Regular football, confidence, goals and responsibility all appeared to be helping him grow rapidly as a player. He also impressed with his versatility, operating both as a central striker and in deeper attacking roles depending on what Schumacher required.
Bolton boss Steven Schumacher openly admitted the injury is a major blow.
He said: (Bolton News), “It’s a similar injury to the one Amario had, so it is season-ending for us, certainly.
“Six goals total for us, a few assists, he was a constant threat, not easy to play against and I spoke a few weeks ago how important he has been for us, so I can’t deny that he’s going to be a miss.
“Like we’ve proved all season, Sam Dalby got injured in the first week of pre-season, Mason Burstow stepped up and got off to a flyer, and we’ve had other injuries, Marcus Forss, Amario, Cordy Blackett-Taylor, two midfield players were injured for seven weeks.
“Yes, we are going to miss Johnny Kenny, but someone else will step up and be the hero for us.”
For Celtic, the situation creates another complication heading into what is already shaping up to be a huge summer rebuild.
Tomáš Čvančara’s loan spell has already ended early, while Junior Adamu continues to face major questions after struggling to make an impact since arriving. Callum Osmand has recently returned to training and is pushing for involvement before the campaign finishes, while Daizen Maeda and Iheanacho have both found form at the perfect time.
That leaves Kenny’s situation uncertain again.
Before the injury, there was growing belief he could return to Celtic in a much stronger position after proving himself with regular senior football at Bolton.
Instead, focus now shifts entirely towards recovery.
And for many supporters watching one of the club’s brightest young attacking prospects suffer such a setback just as momentum was building, the feeling heading into derby day has been summed up in one sentence:
“This is absolutely brutal.”
Nafisa
