Where will Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou turn to fill Kyogo striking void?

The Aussie has seen his side decimated with injuries at various stages of the season.

With eight matches left in the year during a hectic December schedule, Celtic's injury jinx struck again during Thursday night's 3-2 Europa League win over Real Betis.

Portuguese winger Jota has already been ruled out with a hamstring injury and Greek striker Girogios Giakoumakis is currently nursing a knee injury.

However, things went from bad to worse for Ange as both talismanic goalscoring hero Kyogo Furuhashi and Swiss attacker Albian Ajeti limped off with hamstring injuries which are expected to keep the duo out for a few weeks.

READ MORE: Celtic's 22 goal absence and why December can't be the cruellest month - Alison McConnell

The squad really is down to the bare bones and there is a chronic lack of depth, especially in the striking department.

Anthony Haggerty assesses the options that Ange now has at his disposal to play as Celtic's main attacker as we reach a critical juncture of the season.

Option 1: James Forrest

So often Celtic's talisman on the big stage, Forrest as been deployed in a central striking role before but is himself being nursed back to full health following a lengthy injury lay-off. He possesses all the big game experience needed to lead the line for Celtic. The 30-year-old has three goals in 15 appearances this season but proved his worth to the cause when he leapt off the bench to fire home the crucial winning goal in the League Cup sem-final against St Johnstone last month and is an obvious contender for a makeshift centre-forward role.

READ MORE: A twisted Celtic tale of dead rubbers, injury-jinxes and shining academy players - Tony Haggerty

Option 2: Liel Abada

The Israeli wide player has suffered a real dip in form and his confidence levels seem to have been affected. The 20-year-old has been deployed as the main striker for his previous club Maccabi Petah Tikva, scored four goals in his first seven outings for Celtic and has bagged seven in 30 appearances. He has shown a striker's nous for a goal at times this season and might well relish the challenge of being switched from a wide position to through the centre to get his confidence levels up again. Abada possesses a blistering turn of pace and has enough in his armoury to make a nuisance of himself if he were to be handed the main striker role.

Option 3: Mikey Johnston

The 22-year-old has shown potential for many years but has not readily fulfilled it. A succession of managers have handed him his chance to lead the line but Johnston has never fully convinced. He still divides opinion to the point that many argue he is worthy of an extended run in the team whilst others still see him as an impact player and a natural wide man at that. Despite making 14 appearances under Ange this season he has yet to contribute a goal and that would be a concern for the Aussie moving forward with some huge games coming up, not least the League Cup final.

Option 4: Owen Moffat

The 19-year-old stars are incredible as he has notched 11 goals and five assists for the B side this season in 1,642 minutes of action. He even bagged five in one match, a 10-0 win over Lowland League whipping boys Vale of Leithen. Moffat already has the advantage of having gained some first-team experience during pre-season as well as scoring a goal against Sheffield Wednesday so Ange is very aware of his talents. He is another player who is preferred out wide but like Vata can occupy any role in the attack. The smart money would be on Moffat being the most likely to be elevated and take the step up into the first team from all the academy players.

Option 5: Rocco Vata

The son of former Celtic star Rudi Vata and is now a member of the Republic of Ireland under-19 squad. Rocco has been earning rave reviews in the B squad. He looks a precocious and ridiculous talent at 16 years of age and is maybe just a touch too young to be drafted into the first team. Although he is utilised mainly as a wide player, Vata has claimed five goals and an assist already this season in 1,200 minutes of action. Vata is capable of playing anywhere along the frontline and that versatility could be a boon for Ange should he turn to the B players to help boost the squad numbers.