Celtic told Brendan Rodgers might spring a possible surprise with Reo Hatate against Rangers

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Reo Hatate is back in training just in time for Celtic’s all-important clash against Rangers on Saturday.

The 26-year-old has been back on the training pitch for Brendan Rodgers for a while now after picking up a hamstring injury against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League in October. 

Even though Reo Hatate is nowhere near match fit for Celtic, John Hartson thinks Brendan Rodgers could throw in a ‘red herring’ and start him against Rangers, as he told Go Radio.

Celtic’s midfield trio in recent matches has been – Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley and Paulo Bernardo.

Now, if Reo Hatate is to start, then it will be for the on-loan Benfica star, who scored his first goal for the club against Dundee on Boxing Day.

In comparison to recent weeks, Brendan Rodgers now has a midfield that is functioning a lot better, so there isn’t any need for change. 

But John Hartson feels that, even if Celtic’s £1.4 million star is less than 100%, he is a better option than Paulo Bernardo. 

Reo Hatate to start against Rangers?

“I think Hatate, if he has trained for a week or so and he has trained with the first team, then I think Brendan might just throw a red herring in there and start Hatate,” said Hartson.

“If he has proved on the training ground that his injury is holding up and he won’t be match sharp, because you think about it McGregor, O’Riley and if you can have a Hatate in there, then you probably have a three-quarters Hatate over Turnbull or a Bernardo. 

“I just have a sneaky feeling. I told you a couple of weeks ago on here, when everybody was almost ruling Hatate out, I said don’t be surprised if he makes it.”

Don’t change a winning team

The issue is Hatate’s lack of match sharpness. If he had earned some minutes off the bench in recent weeks, then by all means, start him on Saturday.

But you just don’t know where he is at, plus it’s not like Bernardo is throwing up stinkers.

Celtic fans are waiting for him to explode and showcase why the club should buy him at the end of his loan spell.

And perhaps this Rangers game is an ideal time for him to put up his best performance because he is now starting to showcase encouraging signs.

Look, even if Bernardo pulls off amazing performances, he isn’t getting ahead of Hatate. But that’s a match-fit Hatate and not someone who has just returned from a muscle injury.