It is becoming increasingly difficult to justify why Paulo Bernardo continues to be a peripheral figure at Celtic.
After Celtic secured Bernardo’s services on a permanent £3.5m deal in 2024, the Portuguese midfielder has been bafflingly ignored.
Despite a lack of regular minutes, Bernardo proved his worth during a crucial, underrated cameo at Ibrox last time out, as Celtic beat Rangers in an ugly Scottish Cup quarter-final encounter.
As Motherwell travel to Glasgow on Saturday for a crucial Premiership showdown, Martin O’Neill has the perfect opportunity to finally unleash a player who offers far more than what those ahead of him are providing.
Why has Paulo Bernardo struggled to make an impact since joining Celtic permanently?
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Martin O’Neill should start Paulo Bernardo against Motherwell
Bernardo has a goal in him and a proven ability to dictate the tempo of a game – attributes that have been sorely missing during Celtic’s more frantic domestic performances this season.
The current situation feels like a genuine injustice for a player of his pedigree. If his status as an unused substitute doesn’t change soon, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him seeking a move away in the summer.
To avoid losing a player who could become a significant asset, O’Neill must trust Bernardo to provide the control Celtic needs; that process has to start with a place in the starting XI against a very strong Motherwell side.
Who starts in Celtic’s midfield in Callum McGregor’s absence?
In Callum McGregor’s absence, the Hoops look far worse in the middle of the park, and you do question who starts against Motherwell.
All season long, Reo Hatate has produced stinker after stinker, yet he has continued to play, and Bernardo has watched on from the sidelines.
| Hatate’s games and minutes this season | Bernardo’s games and minutes this season |
| 42 matches and 2,615 minutes | 19 games and 622 minutes |
But Hatate has now hit some form after his recent showings at Ibrox, and he should start against the Well, alongside Celtic’s top scorer, Benjamin Nygren.
That leaves a spot open for one more. Either start Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who isn’t fit because he has hardly played for over a year, or start Luke McCowan, who is an attacking option like Nygren and doesn’t provide control.
This is where Bernardo should come into the picture, and he should be handed regular minutes from now on to see if he can change the team’s abject performances around.
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