Flying Celtic winger Kuhn is still hoping to cap a successful season with a call-up from Germany

Nicolas Kuhn would be forgiven for looking forward to the international break later this month as an opportunity for some welcome rest and relaxation after the most intense period of his Celtic career so far.

The relentless nature of the champions’ schedule will see them play their 20th game in the past 10 weeks when they face Hibernian at Celtic Park in this afternoon’s Scottish Cup quarter-final.

Yet while Kuhn will probably be afforded that chance for some time out as most of his team-mates head away on international duty after next weekend’s Old Firm game, the German winger hasn’t given up hope of receiving a maiden call-up from his country.

Julian Nagelsmann acknowledged Kuhn’s credentials last November when he confirmed the 25-year-old is on his radar.

The upcoming UEFA Nations League last-eight matches against Italy in Milan and Dortmund may be too soon but Kuhn believes he has done as much as he can to really catch national team boss Nagelsmann’s eye.

With 18 goals and 13 assists so far for Celtic this season, and strikes against German giants RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich in the Champions League along the way, he remains hopeful his first senior cap may not be too much further in the distance.

The German in training this week with fellow winger Yang Hyun-jun as Celtic prepare for Hibs

Kuhn battles with St Mirren’s Richard Taylor in last week’s 5-2 victory in Paisley

‘People know playing for Germany is my ambition,’ said Kuhn. ‘I have always said that for them to come for me, I would have to get my assists and get my goals with Celtic.

‘I think the season has been pretty good for me and for the team, so I will see what is coming.

‘I have not had contact with the national team coach yet, but we will see. The more success Celtic can have the better, but I know too that Germany has a lot of players available to him, so there is a lot of competition.’

Regardless of whether he makes the squad this time around, Kuhn is satisfied that the German football public now know he is playing at a credible level in Scotland. That was most clearly emphasised when Kuhn scored in the Allianz Arena last month before Bayern’s stoppage-time goal meant Celtic agonisingly went out of the Champions League.

‘We have had a lot of really, really good games this season, especially in the Champions League,’ he said. ‘The Leipzig game at home was great and also the game at Bayern, with the exception of the last minute.

‘Those were special for me. A lot of my family and friends were at the game and were really happy.

‘I met them after the game, it was really nice. They were happy for me to score against Bayern but I think also everyone in Germany saw that Celtic did a really good job against them.

‘Frankfurt and Leverkusen have since lost against them, so I think we did a very good job there.’

Celtic will look to avenge a rare domestic defeat today, having lost 2-1 to resurgent Hibs at Easter Road in the league a fortnight ago.

Kuhn celebrates his Champions League strike in Bavaria with Daizen Maeda

Not that Brendan Rodgers’ side require any added incentives as they bid for a domestic Treble which is potentially just six matches away. Three more league wins would wrap up the Premiership title, while the same number of victories are required in the Scottish Cup to retain the trophy.

‘It is a good number of games to get to an interesting outcome, but to reach that outcome we have first to get to the next round of the cup,’ added Kuhn. ‘That is what we focus on now.

‘It should be a very exciting game. We played Hibs a couple of weeks ago in Edinburgh and lost, so we know they are strong.

‘We were not at our best that day, though. When we turned in good performances against them at the start of the season, we won both games. Hopefully we can deliver another good performance. It is always nice to have a quick opportunity to play a team who have beaten you last time out.

‘It is the cup, so there will be a different feel to this match. In the cups, the goal for everyone is to reach the next round. Lose and you are out — it is the same for all teams.

‘Obviously, the supporters know this, so you get a great atmosphere at the ties. I am sure that will be the case in this one.’