Brendan Rodgers will be keeping an eye on the progress of his Celtic loanees as several figures previously on the periphery at Parkhead look to impress the Irishman.
While the first-team continue to thrive after the Bhoys saw off Motherwell at Fir Park to extend their unbeaten domestic run to 11 matches, there are players still on the books who will have long-term designs on forcing their way into contention.
The loan market has been a source of strength for Celtic in recent years. Evaluating outgoings, Liam Scales is the prime example of what can happen when the right circumstances align, producing a ready-made player who can make an impact without dipping into the market.
Kristoffer Ajer and Ryan Christie are also worthy of recognition, seeing as both enjoyed spells elsewhere in the Scottish Premiership before establishing themselves during Brendan Rodgers’ first tenure.
In light of this, 67 Hail Hail take a look at how Celtic’s senior loanees fared over the weekend as they bid to enter the Irishman’s thinking.
Johnny Kenny and Hyeokyu Kwon feature in high-stakes matches
With the League of Ireland now down to its final match on Friday, Shamrock Rovers still have a chance of claiming the title if they can see off Waterford at Tallaght Stadium and Shelbourne drop points away to Derry City.
Yesterday, the other Hoops narrowly saw off Dundalk 1-0 courtesy of Dylan Watts in a match where Johnny Kenny featured from the start before being replaced by Aaron Greene on 63 minutes.
Truthfully, the Republic of Ireland Under-21 international had a quiet game at Oriel Park. Still, he won’t be too bothered as Ireland’s most successful club stand one match away from an unprecedented five-in-a-row title success.
Carrying on the theme of high stakes, albeit in different circumstances, Hyeokkyu Kwon played the entire 90 minutes as Hibernian drew 1-1 with Hearts in the first Edinburgh Derby of the campaign at Easter Road.
Stat-trackers Fotmob illustrate the South Korean midfielder had a quietly impressive match, completing 16 of his 21 attempted passes and winning five duels.
Nevertheless, the affair took on a familiar derby feel, with a greater emphasis on physicality that restricted quality moments from anyone in the capital.
Alexandro Bernabei, Gustaf Lagerbielke and Marco Tilio’s fates
Continuing his form at Internacional, Celtic loanee Alexandro Bernabei got on the scoresheet over the weekend as his side saw off Atletico MG, which had led to some intriguing reports surrounding his future.
According to recent developments, Internacional have been quoted £8.32 million to sign Bernabei from Celtic permanently, with the player keen to stay in Brazil to feature in the Copa Libertadores.
Elsewhere, Gustaf Lagerbielke made a foray off the bench to feature in FC Twente’s 5-0 Eredivisie victory over Heracles, replacing Mees Hilgers. The Sweden international is now up to three appearances since making his loan move in the summer.
Finally, Marco Tilio couldn’t make the difference for Melbourne City after starting in their 3-1 victory against Melbourne Victory and playing the full match.
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