Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic midfield puzzle

Add as preferred source on Google

With Reo Hatate still recovering from injury, Brendan Rodgers has rotated between David Turnbull, Paulo Bernardo, and Odin Thiago Holm.

Hatate is currently out until after Christmas with the injury he picked up against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League at Celtic Park in October.

Rodgers has failed to settle on one player to consistently play in Hatate’s absence, leading to heavy rotation. At times, this has left an air of confusion over who will start in each game.

Domestically, Turnbull appears most likely to start. However, in the Champions League, Rodgers has started Bernardo in the two games following Hatate’s injury sideline.

Although occupying the same position Turnbull and Bernardo are different types of player Turnbull is more of a goal scoring threat with his ability to score from outside the box in particular the strongest part of his game. Bernardo is more of an all-rounded player in progressing possession through his passing ability and his defensive work rate, which Rodgers favours in the Champions League against elite opposition.

Bernardo must start being involved in more goals through scoring himself or providing assists, having yet to score or assist for Celtic. On the other hand, Turnbull must become more defensively rounded, with his work rate and stamina off the ball criticised by some supporters for negatively affecting Celtic’s ability to win the ball back.

Odin Thiago Holm can be seen as a middle ground between both, possessing great aerial ability, defensive work rate, dribbling ability, and progressive passing, along with a great final ball. Holm, like Bernardo, must start being involved in more goals through scoring himself or providing assists. However, he has shown glimpses of creative threat with his substitute appearance against St Mirren, assisting Hyengou Oh for the winner.

At the time of writing, Turnbull appears to slightly have the edge over Holm and Bernardo, primarily due to his consistent goal-scoring. However, it is clear that he is not a nailed-on starter in Europe, with his contract expiring in 2024. Additionally, Bernardo is on loan until the end of the season from Benfica with an option to buy, so to say both of their futures at Celtic are, at the very least, up in the air would be understatement.

With Celtic facing a busy fixture schedule over the next month, Rodgers must decide who is the first choice in Hatate’s absence. This is not to say he can’t rotate with two games a week, but it needs to become clear who is most likely to play domestically and in Europe, with the rest of the team rarely changed unless of injuries or fatigue.