Celtic breathe sigh of relief after ‘alarms set off’ international injury scare as Hoops star limps off
Hoops striker was rewarded for his performances at Celtic Park with his second cap for his country
Celtic fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Colombia have explained why striker Camilo Duran limped off in a friendly match against Chile.
The 24-year old, who has been in fine goalscoring form in Glasgow, looked in severe discomfort when manager Nestor Lorenzo brought him off on the hour mark for fellow attacker Yaser Asprilla. Local media outlet Semana claimed ‘alarms’ were set off by Duran’s substitution at the Estadio Olimpico in Cali, but Lorenzo has since confirmed that he was only suffering from cramp.
The match, which Colombia won 1-0, marked Duran’s second ever appearance for his country, having been recalled to the national squad for his formidable goalscoring record at Parkhead. The summer signing has bagged 13 SPFL Premiership goal contributions in as many games and has arguably been their standout performer so far.
Colombia issue Duran injury update
After the match, Lorenzo confirmed: "Camilo came off after suffering from cramping. Both his legs cramped, but he's fine. It's probably due to the effort he made throughout the game. But he is a player who's in great physical shape.
"The game was almost like a World Cup qualifier, in terms of intensity, the battles and the tackles that took place on the pitch. It's a very good win for us. We are building a team here and guys like Camilo are part of the future. He has a lot of talent and he's not the only one in this team."
With five yellow cards and 33 fouls, the match was perhaps a bit feistier than its ‘friendly’ label suggests. On Tuesday night, the South American sides will meet again in Santiago - and Duran is expected to be fully available.
Former Duran mentor makes national team suggestion
Upon his recent call-up, Duran’s former coach at Independiente Medellin, Arnulfo Valentierra backed the Celtic forward to lead the line for his country in the future. The former midfielder, who made 11 appearances for Colombia himself during his playing career, has always been an admirer of Duran’s.
He said: “I have always thought Camilo could be something special from the moment I coached him as a kid. He is a player who has that piece of flair. When he was just a youngster, he showed something different from the others. So I have obviously followed his career closely and I have watched his games in Scotland since he moved to Celtic.
“I believe he is the future of Colombian football and he should be first pick in our team. For me, he is the best striker we have. I know we have the players to win a Copa America or reach the World Cup and Camilo is at the centre of that.”
*The Scottish Football Social Club is presented by BetSBK.com | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly