Mohamed Elyounoussi has been excluded from the Norway squad for the second international break in a row.
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The winger had previously been a mainstay in his national team’s senior setup, but recent months have seen him lose his place in Lars Lagerback’s plans.
Elyounoussi had a dismal year at Southampton before completing a loan move to Celtic in the summer transfer window.
He has since been a regular under Neil Lennon, but the manager has been carefully integrating the former Basel star, handing him limited game time at the beginning of his tenure in Scotland.
Read Southampton’s verdict
Elyounoussi has had a reasonably pleasing start to life at Celtic. He got himself his first assist for the club within minutes of his debut and has continued to find his feet.
He performed well in the Hoops’ recent Europa League draw against Rennes and has enjoyed a steady introduction to football in the Scottish Premiership.
Elyounoussi had always been one of the first names on the team sheet at international level, but his terrible season at Southampton has evidently seen him fall down the pecking order for his country.
If he is to force his way into Lagerback’s plans any time soon, it seems he will need to rediscover the form that made him such a dangerous player in Switzerland.
Elyounoussi can feel hard done by to have been overlooked once again by Norway, but his future on the national stage remains in his hands, and a strong campaign in Celtic colours would surely push him back into contention.
