The bizarre injury mishap that could lead Celtic to hand forgotten man an unexpected Parkhead lifeline
The centre-back’s injury frustrations have continued in Germany to leave him facing an uncertain future
Celtic’s decision to loan out defender Maik Nawrocki raised a few eyebrows last summer but his spell at Hannover 96 is fast developing into a nightmare.
The Polish centre-back was shipped out to the German second-tier in early July in a bid to regain his form and confidence, but a series of frustrating injury setbacks prevented the 24-year-old from making his debut until the end of October.
To date, Nawrocki has only started eight league games, and was expected to feature in last weekend’s encounter against Holstein Kiel. However, he was rocked by a fresh injury blow on the morning of the game and had to miss out.
And the bizarre reason for his absence has since come to light, with Hannover boss Christian Titz revealing Nawrocki hurt his back while getting changed at home.
Titz said: “He felt a twinge in his back this morning when he was quickly changing his clothes. The club doctor examined the player and he couldn't play. At this stage, we don't know how long he will be out for.”
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Nawrocki made just three league appearances for Celtic last term, including a surprise start in an Old Firm derby defeat to Rangers.
Does Maik Nawrocki still have a future at Celtic?
Celtic splashed out £4.3m to recruit the centre-half from Legia Warsaw in 2023 and Hannover retain an option to turn his loan deal into a permanent one at the end of the season.
During his turbulent two seasons in Glasgow, Nawrocki made only 18 appearances and failed to establish himself as a first-team regular. Amid fierce competition for places, he struggled to dislodge mainstays Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Liam Scales.
Despite his lack of game time, many Celtic supporters believe the Pole was hard done under Brendan Rodgers and that he still has something to offer.
Speaking back in March 2025, Rodgers explained why he felt it was the right time to bring the stopper out of cold storage and throw him straight into the starting line-up against Rangers.
“What you’ve got to give him huge credit for is every single day in training his mentality to work, his endeavour, the responsibility he’s taken to work and be the best he can be,” the Northern Irishman said.
“If the opportunity comes and he has to come into a game like the Rangers game and perform like he did, that’s a real testament to his professionalism and his mentality.”
With a significant summer of change expected at Celtic, much will depend on Hannover’s stance on the player’s future. Should they decide against taking up their option-to-buy clause, the Scottish champions could look to bring Nawrocki back into the fold and assess him closely under a new manager before a decision is made on his next step towards the end of the summer window.