Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is keen to cobble together his key players for a final charge towards the Scottish Premiership finish line.
With eight league fixtures left to go, the Bhoys sit one point ahead of Rangers at the summit of the table, albeit our rivals have played a game less.
Despite the tight nature of the title race, Celtic hope to have the likes of Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate back in contention for our trip to Livingston after the international break concludes.
Both midfielders are crucial men for Rodgers, who has had to reshuffle his engine room amid their absence, leading to an increased level of game time for Tomoki Iwata and Daniel Kelly.
Republic of Ireland international Liam Scales is also set to make his comeback at the Tony Macaroni Stadium on March 31st; meanwhile, it is unclear when Maik Nawrocki and Luis Palma will be available in the wake of their own respective injury struggles.
Hyunjun Yang has served his two-match suspension for a controversial sending-off at Tynecastle earlier this month, offering further depth on the right flank to complement Nicolas Kuhn.
There is a lot to feel positive about at Celtic despite a topsy-turvy campaign, and here’s hoping we can give ourselves the best chance of bringing home two pieces of silverware by ensuring our main men are match-ready.
Celtic receive significant Reo Hatate injury boost
Hatate has unfortunately not had much of a chance to hit full tilt this campaign following a time where the Japan international has failed to evade a spate of injury struggles.
Nevertheless, positive news surrounding his fitness has finally come to light at a crucial time in the season.
Per The Daily Record, Hatate played 45 minutes in a bounce match against St Mirren at Lennoxtown yesterday, and should he manage to come away unscathed by his involvement, there is a chance he could be involved in our clash away to Livingston at the end of this month.
It is unclear how many other Celtic senior players participated in the clash; however, supporters will likely take major encouragement from the fact he now has some form of minutes in his legs.
Reo Hatate returning to action would be huge for Celtic
Celtic have dearly missed Hatate’s influence for large spells this campaign, given his ability to provide an element of control in the engine room that few others in the side are able to replicate.
Per Sofascore, the 26-year-old has provided a goal threat this campaign in the Scottish Premiership, averaging around 2.3 shots per fixture.
Defensively, the former Kawasaki Frontale man has also excelled, making around three ball recoveries per league match. Hopefully, Hatate can continue his fitness recovery and be a mainstay in the side for the remainder of the run-in.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
