NEIL LENNON will not allow Tom Rogic to go on loan to Japan - or anywhere else - in pursuit of the first-team football the midfielder needs to secure his spot at the World Cup finals.

That's because the Parkhead boss is convinced the 20-year-old will play enough games in the Hoops between now and the end of the season to book his ticket to Brazil.

Rogic has made just 16 appearances for Celtic since moving here from the A-League in January.

But Lennon explained only an injury at the start of the season, which left the youngster playing catch-up in terms of fitness, has prevented him getting more game time.

Now he is getting close to full match fitness - topped up by a half-hour substitute appearance for his country against Costa Rica which left new Oz boss, Ange Postecoglou, raving about his potential - Rogic is about to be given the green light to finally kick-start his Celtic career.

The youngster's long-awaited opportunity could even come as early as Saturday against Aberdeen, depending on how he is after returning from playing for his country.

Lennon is aware that, while away with Australia, Rogic had it spelt out to him how vital it is he gets regular games between now and the Aussie squad being selected for the World Cup finals.

After steering Australia to a 1-0 win in his first game in charge, Postecoglou even went as far as to claim it would be in his best interests to rejoin on loan his former Central Coast Mariners coach, Graham Arnold, who is now in charge of Japanese club, Vegalta Sendai.

Postecoglou said: "I think that (a loan to Japan) would be fantastic. Arnie knows him, and we know Arnie is a fantastic coach. He's got the best out of Tommy, and the J-League is a strong competition.

"It's a World Cup year. There wouldn't be a player on the planet who is going to a World Cup who wouldn't, for the next six months, think the best move for him would be to play regular football."

Rogic has yet to start in any of his 12 appearances for Australia.

But Postecoglou explained it was only because of doubts over his ability to last the entire game that he started on the bench against Costa Rica, but added: "He was electric when he came on."

The coach is convinced that, if Rogic can get the game time he needs, he can be a key player for the Aussie side for years to come.

Postecoglou said: "He's a special player and we need him playing. That will be part of the task leaving this camp, trying to find out how we can get him some game time because he's going to be an important player, not just at this World Cup, but for the next couple of World Cups.

"In the right environment, playing regular club football at a good level, he could be, well, I don't know what he could be. I don't want us, as a nation, to miss out on that."-