It is a disappointing day for Reo Hatate as he found out that he wouldn't be included in the Japan squad to face Scotland and England. Celtic teammate Daizen Maeda was called up for the games, but the midfielder will miss out.
You'd have to look back to a year ago to find the last time Hatate made an appearance for his national team. With the World Cup coming up, that isn't good for the Celtic player, and he'll quickly realise that he may be set to miss out on America.
Hatate is finding his form again after struggling in the hoops this season, and it may have come too late. His drop in performances saw him left out for a while, with players like Callum McGregor, Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren favoured in the middle of the park, but he has come back strong in recent games. If there was any time for him to be called up, it was now, but alas, he won't be playing during the international break.
For his teammate Maeda, although he has also experienced a dip in form this campaign, Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu still favours him for a variety of reasons. Even domestically, we can see how his blistering pace and pressing intensity catch opponents off guard when he's at his best, and this is something that is likely keeping him in the squad. It's hard to replicate.
It wasn't just Hatate who was left out either, as former Celtic fan favourite Kyogo Furuhashi also didn't get a call-up. The striker has been struggling to get gametime at Birmingham City, and it may spell the end of his international career if things don't quickly look up.
Although Hatate will understandably be disappointed, it could actually be a good thing for Celtic. This means that when we return to the league in April, we will have a fresh player to rely on. That could be crucial going into the end of the season.
International break beckons
We are quickly approaching the international break, where Scotland will take on Japan for the first time since 2009. The opponents came out as 2-0 victors that day, so Steve Clarke will be hoping he can record a different result all these years later.
Several Hoops players have been called up to represent their countries, so although we'll have to deal with no domestic football until April 5, at least we can still see Celtic players in action.
Hopefully, the break won't have too much of an effect on things and the Celts will still be raring to go in the title race. There is a good chance that we can come back from a season of struggle and lift the league title, and we won't have to wait long to see how things pan out.