ANGE Postecoglou tonight revealed that Celtic’s win over Raith Rovers in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Parkhead had been marred by new signing Giorgos Giakoumakis suffering an injury warming up.

The Glasgow club booked a semi-final against defending champions St Johnstone at Hampden in November thanks to first-half goals from Jota and Liel Abada and a second-half strike from David Turnbull.

However, Postecoglou was disappointed when Greek striker Giakoumakis, who was signed from VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands before the transfer window closed at the end of last month, pulled up as he worked out with the other substitutes in the first-half.

The Celtic manager had hoped to hand the £3m acquisition his long-awaited debut in the second-half of the cup tie – but instead ended up sending his countryman to hospital to check the extent of the calf strain he suffered. 

Speaking to Premier Sports, he said: “I don’t know what it is mate, I have definitely walked under a ladder. He did his calf in the warm-up so I have just sent him off to do a scan now. He has picked up an injury unfortunately.”

Asked about the game, Postecoglou added:  “I thought we did the job we needed to. We controlled the game from the early parts and got our goals really well. For the most part we did the job we needed to do tonight. It wasn’t anything too exciting, but, at the same time, the players worked hard and we got our victory.

“We encourage our wingers to really get into dangerous areas in the box and both Liel and Jota tonight did really well to get into those areas. They got their rewards. It is something we have obviously been working on and we are getting some results from. Look, it’s the way we set up.

“It was a good goal for Turnbull. He did okay. There are still areas of David’s game we are working on. I still think there is more to come from him. He is still a young man and he is still sort of beginning his career.

“I think he is going to be a very good player moving forward. There is stuff we will keep pushing to improve in him. But he got hs goal tonight and did a job for us.”

Postecoglou is looking forward to his first visit to Hampden to play defending champions St Johnstone in the semi-finals in November. 

He said: “Obviously it is pleasing that we are in the semis and it should be a great occasion. St Johnstone obviously did really well in the cups last year and will be good opponents. It is good for us to be there.”