While there is very little left in the 24/25 season, Celtic still have one huge game coming up. They will face Aberdeen in the final of the Scottish Cup final at Hampden Park. The Hoops have to be considered the favourites going into the game, having defeated the Dons in their own backyard recently. That being said, Brendan Rodgers has a few worries going into the match as well.
Celtic were already set to be without one starter against Aberdeen. Jota has been ruled out for six to nine months, having picked up a long-term injury. And now, another key player has been ruled out of the Hampden Park fixture as well.
As reported by Sky Sports, Reo Hatate will miss the Scottish Cup final. He suffered a knee injury in the closing phase of the game against Aberdeen. He will not recover in time for the May 24 matchup.
Rodgers recently confirmed the news of Hatate's absence. The Celtic manager said:
"He'll miss the last two games, sadly for him and for us.
"He's had a fantastic season in terms of availability. It's 55 games he's been involved in and it's just such a shame he'll miss these last couple of games.
"You're probably looking that he'll be okay for the beginning of pre-season, but it's just a shame for us, even more so for him, that he misses these two games."
Celtic suffer major Scottish Cup final injury blow
Hatate is an important part of the Celtic midfield. He has been a consistent starter for the club since his arrival in early 2022, first under the management of Ange Postecoglou and now, Rodgers.
As a result, Hatate's absece will come as a major blow for Celtic heading into the Scottish Cup final. The fans will be hoping that they do have enough in the tank to get past Aberdeen, even without the Japanese midfielder.
Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan are two options that Rodgers has available to him as the replacement for Hatate in the final of the Scottish Cup. Both of them have shown a ton of quality over the course of this season and can be relied upon to deliver on the day at Hampden Park.