Rodgers Confirms Jota Out Until 2026 as Schmeichel Future Hangs in Balance

When Celtic Football Club returned to training in Lisbon this week, the mood was anything but celebratory. Manager Brendan Rodgers delivered two stark realities: Filipe Jota won’t play again this year — not even in 2025 — and the fate of Kasper Schmeichel hangs by a thread. The news, delivered on November 21, 2025, during a pre-season camp that began on November 18, isn’t just about injuries or contracts. It’s about identity. For a club that thrives on momentum, losing its most electric attacker and questioning its most reliable goalkeeper feels like losing two pillars at once.

Jota’s Long Road Back

It was April 26, 2025, at Tannadice Stadium, and Celtic had just clinched their 13th league title in 14 years. A 5-0 demolition of Dundee United Football Club should have been pure joy. Instead, at the 35th minute, Filipe Jota collapsed without contact, clutching his left knee. The scene was haunting: the winger, known for his darting runs and cheeky stepovers, was helped off on crutches — still in his kit, still wearing the captain’s armband he’d earned that day — as his teammates lifted the trophy behind him. He didn’t celebrate with them. He watched from the tunnel.

Now, seven months later, the prognosis is worse than most feared. Rodgers told the Daily Record from Lisbon: "We sent him back to assess his fitness here and be with his family... The progress has come along really well. But there’s a long, long way to go." The 26-year-old Portuguese winger, who netted 12 goals and added 7 assists before the injury, is undergoing rehab in his homeland. He made a surprise visit to the Lisbon camp last week, smiling, chatting with teammates, even joining a light jog. But he didn’t train. He didn’t touch a ball. "He’s in high spirits," one source close to the squad said. "But you can see the frustration in his eyes. He wants to be out there."

The standard ACL recovery timeline is six to twelve months. Jota’s injury occurred on April 26 — meaning he’s just past the seven-month mark. Yet Rodgers’ phrasing — "will not be seen again in 2025" — signals this isn’t a typical case. Sources indicate the medial collateral ligament may have been compromised too, extending the timeline into early 2026. Celtic’s head of medical services, Stephanie McCaffrey, has been conducting weekly video reviews with Jota’s Portuguese physio team since late April. "It’s not just about strength," one insider explained. "It’s about trust. His brain has to believe his knee won’t give way when he cuts. That takes longer than muscle healing."

Schmeichel’s Last Stand

While Jota’s absence is a blow to attack, Schmeichel’s uncertainty is a threat to stability. The 38-year-old Danish goalkeeper, signed from Omonia Nicosia in July 2024 on a two-year deal, has been the rock Celtic didn’t know they needed. But after a 2-1 loss to Sporting Clube de Braga in Portugal last month, the whispers turned to shouts. "The Schmeichel talk is unavoidable," reported Celts Are Here on November 21. "Rodgers can’t delay this much longer."

Why now? Because the loss exposed a pattern. Schmeichel has made three critical errors in the last five games — two against Braga, one against Rangers in the league. He’s still commanding in the air, still a leader in the box. But his reflexes, once lightning-fast, are showing the toll of age. Celtic’s backup, 23-year-old Willie Ramsay, has impressed in cup games, and the club is already in early talks with a potential January target: Matteo Darmian, the 34-year-old Italian veteran now at Inter Milan, who’s open to a loan move.

Rodgers, who managed Celtic from 2016 to 2019 before returning in June 2023, knows Schmeichel’s legacy. He was there when the Dane saved a penalty in the 2024 Scottish Cup final. But this isn’t about sentiment. It’s about Champions League football. Celtic face SL Benfica on November 28 at Celtic Park — a must-win game that could decide their group fate. Can Schmeichel be trusted? Rodgers won’t say. But he didn’t name him in the starting XI for the Braga match. That’s telling.

What This Means for Celtic’s Season

Losing Jota isn’t just about goals. It’s about space. His ability to drift wide and pull defenders out of position created room for Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor to operate centrally. Without him, Celtic’s attack looks predictable. The club’s transfer budget for January is already stretched — but they’ll have to spend. A winger who can replicate Jota’s flair won’t come cheap.

And Schmeichel? If he’s replaced, it won’t be a simple swap. It’ll be a generational shift. The Dane has become a cult figure — his beard, his calm, his habit of singing in the dressing room after wins. His departure would feel like the end of an era. But in football, loyalty doesn’t win trophies. Performance does.

What’s Next?

Celtic return to Glasgow on November 25. The Benfica clash on November 28 is the immediate test. Rodgers will announce his starting lineup the day before. If Schmeichel starts, it’s a vote of confidence — but if he’s benched for Ramsay, the message is clear: the future is now.

As for Jota? He’ll be back. But not for the 2025-2026 season’s big moments. He’ll likely return in March, just as the league title race heats up. That’s the cruel irony. He’ll miss the title run-in, but he’ll be there for the European push. If he regains his form, he could be the spark Celtic needs in the Europa League knockout rounds.

For now, the club is caught between mourning what’s lost and building what’s next. The fans know it. The players know it. And Rodgers? He’s silent — but his actions speak louder than any press conference.