Martin O'Neill has been told that one of his players does not want to be at Celtic anymore, which could be a bigger problem after Arne Engels' injury.
Martin O'Neill has done a tremendous job since making a second return as interim manager of Celtic this season. During this run, he has won eight of the ten games his side have taken part in, without tasting defeat so far. Things are only going to get tougher from here though, as the Hoops cannot keep relying on individual brilliance and last-minute heroics if they want to get this title race over the line.
Arne Engels has picked up an injury ahead of an important run of games, and he is not expected to be back until the end of March. As a result, O'Neill will need other players to step up.
Reo Hatate's situation could turn out to be another problem for O'Neill moving forward though, as the Japanese midfielder is going through his worst run of form since joining the club in early 2022, during Ange Postecoglou's debut campaign in Scotland.
Over the years, Hatate has had his ups and downs at Celtic. At the moment, though, it looks like his departure has become inevitable, and the lack of a move after four-plus years at the club is starting to affect his game.
According to CeltsAreHere, Robert Grieve said on the Press Box podcast while discussing the Japanese international: “Reo Hatate doesn’t want to be there.
“He’s watched moves come and go, probably in the summer, was expecting something in January, it didn’t happen. I don’t think Martin O’Neill can trust him. That’s certainly how I look at it, kind of outside looking in.”
O'Neill has continued to trust Hatate though, giving him starts. But he was taken off at half-time at the weekend's game against Kilmarnock, as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replaced him and helped turn the game around in the second half.
The issue is that Celtic do not have a ton of quality options in the middle of the park in the absence of Engels. Oxlade-Chamberlain has looked decent in the couple of appearances that he has made, even scoring the winner against Livingston, but it is worth remembering that he did not play any football in the first half of the season. It could be too much to expect him to come in and start every three days immediately.
Unfortunately, Hatate is not contributing positively either. So, O'Neill might have to come up with a different solution rather than continuing to play him. Does the answer lie in giving added playing time to those who have not played as much? Or could he look towards the academy for a solution?
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!