Celtic could only manage a goalless draw against Hibernian. To be fair, the Hoops did create plenty of chances on the day but could not just find that final bit. Of course, for the Scottish champions, winning every match is important and they now find themselves trailing Hearts in the league table after six matchdays.
We are fairly sure that the Hoops will eventually find their rhythm and go on a run, while Hearts' form is likely to dip at some point as well. That being said, nothing should be taken for granted. Celtic have not impressed anybody at the start of the campaign and it is important for Brendan Rodgers to find a few solutions.
He did make a few changes for the game against Hibs. One player missing on the day was Reo Hatate, who picked up a hamstring issue in midweek, away in Serbia while facing Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League.
Rodgers has given an update on the injury and while he did not provide the extent of the issue, reading between the lines, it does not look like Hatate will be back by the next game either. As reported by The Celtic Way, the manager said:
"Reo, yeah, we hope it won't be too long for him."
Brendan Rodgers drops worrying Celtic injury update
Admittedly, Hatate has not been great this season. But there is no doubting his quality. Are the likes of Arne Engels, Luke McCowan or Paulo Bernardo better than him? So far in their Celtic careers, they have not shown anything to suggest so.
Despite all the criticism, Hatate remains a starter for Celtic. And it would be a boost to the team if he became available as soon as possible. We wish him a fast and complete recovery.
As for Celtic, their dull displays are not just a result of one or two players missing. Something needs to change and quickly.