Liel Abada will be out of action for up to four months, Brendan Rodgers has confirmed.

Celtic's fears over the Israeli's thigh injury have been realised after speculation this morning mounted over the length of time he would be on the sidelines for. 

Reports in his native country suggested that the 21-year-old could take five months to recover. 

And while it's not quite as bad as that, when speaking to the media, boss Rodgers has revealed that Abada is set to miss between three and four months.

He said: "He's gone to London today for a scan. We think it's going to be around three to four months.

"He picked it up at the end of training in a shooting exercise, so it's a real shame for us because he's done well over pre-season and as you can see, he's started a lot of the games since I've been here. 

"We're really disappointed, but it's a squad game for us so we'll have other players to come in.

"It was his thigh when they were shooting at the end of training. It looks like he's done his thigh muscle.

"He signed a new deal and seemed happy. Of course, I was looking forward to continuing his development because he still does have lots of areas that he can improve on. 

"It's a shame, it's a learning curve for him. He'll work hard, hopefully get back and we'll use him for the second part of the season."

READ MORE: Jota transfer latest as Turkish Super Lig loan option emerges

Meanwhile, former Celtic star Jota could still leave Al-Ittihad despite the transfer window being shut in Saudi Arabia.

The Portuguese winger has struggled to make an impact at the Tigers after joining in a £25million move from the Hoops in June.

He is yet to start a league fixture for the Saudi Pro League champions and reports state Al-Ittihad are keen to move him on to clear space for more foreign players.