Martin O’Neill’s Celtic selection for this afternoon’s trip to Easter Road has done more than just raise eyebrows — it’s sparked fresh questions around Reo Hatate’s place in this squad at a crucial point in the season.
With the Hoops locked in a tight title race and every game now carrying real weight, O’Neill has made it clear there is no room for sentiment. Results come first, and selections are being made strictly on what he believes gives Celtic the best chance of winning right now.
But one omission keeps standing out.
Hatate is once again not in the starting XI.
And this is not an isolated decision anymore.
The midfielder has now gone five straight games without a start. In three of those matches, he hasn’t even been used off the bench. For a player who, at his best, has been one of Celtic’s most influential and technically gifted performers, that pattern is becoming harder to ignore.
There is no public suggestion of injury. No clear explanation being offered. And at a stage of the season where Celtic are supposed to be leaning on their strongest players, the situation feels increasingly difficult to read.
Inside the club, O’Neill has been consistent in his approach since taking charge. He has rotated where needed, trusted players in form, and shown little hesitation in making bold calls. That’s part of why Daizen Maeda has been pushed centrally more regularly, and why Arne Engels has been given increased responsibility in midfield.
But Hatate’s continued absence from the starting picture now stands out even more against that backdrop.
It raises the obvious question: where exactly does he fit in this current setup?
Celtic are not short on options, but they are in a stage of the season where stability and clarity usually matter most. Midfield, in particular, has been an area where control and rhythm can decide tight games, especially in away fixtures like this one at Easter Road.
Hibs themselves will see this as an opportunity. They’ve already shown they can trouble Celtic this season, picking up a 2-1 win in this exact fixture earlier in the campaign. And with Celtic arriving knowing rivals could apply pressure later in the weekend, the stakes are obvious.
O’Neill’s starting XI reflects that urgency. He has gone with Viljami Sinisalo in goal, a back four of Alistair Johnston, Auston Trusty, Liam Scales and Kieran Tierney, and a midfield trio of Callum McGregor, Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren.
Ahead of them, Yang and Sebastian Tounekti operate in support of Daizen Maeda, who continues to lead the line in the absence of a settled No.9 solution.
It is a lineup built for control, intensity and direct attacking output — but notably, it does not include Hatate, even as an option from the start.
From the bench, there is still depth available. Reo Hatate is named among the substitutes alongside James Forrest, Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and others who could influence the game if needed.
But for now, the conversation remains the same: not just who is starting, but why Hatate is not.
Celtic Lineup vs Hibernian
Sinisalo, Johnston, Trusty, Scales, Tierney, McGregor, Engels, Nygren, Yang, Tounekti, Maeda
Substitutes: Doohan, McCowan, Iheanacho, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Saracchi, Hatate, Murray, Forrest, Ralston