Elhamed impact on Celtic win should not be overlooked

By John Reid

March 10, 2020

In Celtic’s recent 5-0 win over St Mirren, a significant moment took place that should not be overlooked. That is the part played by Hatem Abd Elhamed for the penalty which led to the Hoops’ fifth goal.

Elhamed was making his first appearance for the Hoops since November in the game, and in his late cameo, he showed that he looks to have recovered from his injury issues and is now fully fit.

Fine overlapping run

It was a fine overlapping run from Elhamed which won the penalty, as he took the ball on the wing, drove into the penalty box, and was fouled, resulting in the penalty being awarded to the Hoops.

Celtic defender Hatem Abd Elhamed / (Photo by Silvia Lore/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Neil Lennon must have been delighted with the performance of Elhamed in the game. He does look back to the player that he was before he suffered a long-term foot injury.

However, has Elhamed’s comeback came too soon for the player to be considered for an appearance in Sunday’s Glasgow derby? That is what Neil Lennon has to weigh up.

Player will want to feature in derby

Is it too early to feature the player, who has been out of action for so long, in what is bound to be a tough game. There is little doubt that Elhamed will want to be involved. He will be desperate to play some part in the match, after being out of action for so long.

Celtic defender Hatem Abd Elhamed in action / (Photo by Marco Rosi/Getty Images)

At least he has had some match time, and won’t be thrown into the game without playing for months, should he features at Ibrox.

Probably the best that Elhamed can hope for at Ibrox is an appearance from off the bench, similar to his cameo against St Mirren.

Still, it is a promising sign that Elhamed looks to have returned from injury in fine form. That bodes well for his participation for the rest of the season.

How well did Elhamed perform against St Mirren? Should he feature against Rangers? Share your thoughts below with a comment in our new discussion forum…