Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers feels Nicolas Kuhnis beginning to reach the levels demanded after the winger enjoyed a promising first start at Parkhead.
Kuhn set up the first of Daizen Maeda’s three goals and caused a number of problems to Livingston left-back Cristian Montano during Celtic’s 4-2 Scottish Gas Scottish Cup win on Sunday.
The 24-year-old arrived from Rapid Vienna in January on the back of dental surgery which affected his strength.
Despite netting a goal and impressing off the bench at Aberdeen in his second appearance, the former Germany youth international had struggled in his first two starts for Celtic.
But the absence of the suspended Yang Hyun-jun and injured Luis Palma offered him his chance against Livi and he seized his opportunity.
Rodgers said: “In fairness to him, I think we mentioned it before, for anyone not working with him every day and seeing the difference, when he first came in he was in the midst of his break and I think he said he’d lost seven kilos.
“You can imagine that when you are only slight anyway. To lose over a stone, I think he found that he’d lost his strength and his running capacity.
“So it’s been about building him up. I think he feels great now.
“He’s still got a bit of work to do. But I think you saw that much more aggressive (approach) in his game, in one v ones, taking people on, finding the pass for Daizen’s goal. So yes, that’s more of what we want to see.
“It’s just adaption. He’ll progress I’m sure in his time but that was very good.
“He’s coming to a country where the intensity and the expectations are huge. It’s about settling into that and then finding your rhythm.
“Some can do it straight away. With some it takes a little bit of time.
“You saw on Sunday, he was much more aggressive, penetrating much more with his passes and his one v ones. He was a real threat for us.”
