Out of favour Luis Palma has reportedly been left out of the Honduras squad to allow him to concentrate on fighting for his future at Celtic.
The 24-year-old is struggling to make his mark in his second season at Celtic Park with his only starting coming in the win over Falkirk. Following his performance in the Premier Sports Cup, the winger was left out of the squad for the clash with St Johnstone and was left on the bench during the Champions League drubbing at the hands of Borussia Dortmund.
Speculation has ramped up that Palma could be moved on in January – but reports in Honduras claim the wide man has told Brendan Rodgers that he wants to remain in Glasgow’s east end and fight for his future. It now appears he has been left out of the international fold to allow him to catch the eye of the boss.
El Heraldo state the the omission of Palma from the double header against French Guiana and Jamaica was “one of the surprises” of the squad announcement. However, it has been claimed that the move was taken following talks with Honduras manager Reinaldo Rueda.
It is said that the staff agreed a “break” for the Parkhead fringe man “in order to help the player” as he “looks to recover his best form.” It is stated that Palma hopes to use the international break to “recover both his form and fitness” and is “hopeful” of a second chance at Celtic.
Should Palma be leave, £8.3m-rated Hammarby forward Bazoumana Toure could come in as a replacement. The Hoops, Arsenal, Crystal Palace, Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer Leverkusen are all said to have scouted the 18-year-old in recent months.
Boss Kim Hellberg admitted that the expectations are rising within the club for the in-demand 18-year-old after he netted the winner for the Swedish side in their win over Halmstad. He told Swedish media post-match: “The expectations on him are also high in the game with the ball; how clear can he be and how active can he be. There are always things to develop.”
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