Frustrated Ange Postecoglou reckons Kyogo Furuhashi will not return to action for Celtic until after the international break.
The Japanese star limped out of his country's win over China and had been expected to miss up to four weeks of action.
However, he was snapped stepping up his return to fitness at Lennoxtown, giving the Hoops support encouragement of a speedy return.
Boss Postecoglou has now revealed that he doesn't expect the forward to be back imminently.
He notes any comeback will be after the Premiership returns following the international break, with the first game back coming in the form of a trip to Motherwell on October 16.
The Australian admits he is facing one of the toughest spells of his career with a lengthy injury list including skipper Callum McGregor and new striker Giorgos Giakoumakis.
The Celtic gaffer said: "With Cal (Callum McGregor) next Thursday is being optimistic.
"With Kyogo, I doubt we will see him this side of the international window but he is pushing hard.
"Unfortunately, Mikey Johnston picked up a niggle on Wednesday so he will be out and I'm not sure when he will be back.
"To cut a long story short, we won't get anybody back for Sunday.
"I haven't been through too many periods in my career like this where it's so challenging with what's happening off the field in terms of injuries and disruptions.
"But it is what it is and what our supporters want to know is that we come here on Sunday and do everything to get a result and just get on with it.
"I don't think it's an excuse but there are valid reasons why we are a little bit inconsistent in terms of the way we are playing at the moment, because we have lost our captain, lost our top goalscorer, other guys who can play in the front area haven't been available.
"Those kind of things you can use as reasons for not progressing, but we are not doing that.
"If we haven't performed, we take it on the chin like we did on Sunday and come back in midweek and get the job done.
"If we get through this period it just means we will be a real, strong unit."
