There’s a good case for Paulo Bernardo to start against Hibs | OneFootball

There’s a good case for Paulo Bernardo to start against Hibs tomorrow afternoon at Celtic Park. Maybe a rest would benefit Reo Hatate who is clearly struggling to find his top form?

Paulo Bernardo at Firhill. Partick Thistle v Celtic. Premier Sports League Cup. Sunday 21 September. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

There’s been plenty of talk amongst Celtic supporters over our current midfield trio, and it’s efficiency in terms of balance, with those seen as the favoured starters Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Benjamin Nygren reckoned to be too similar in style.

I can see the logic behind that thinking, and it has to be said that there is an argument to be had for a shake up of sorts by introducing a player who will bring something of a perfect balance to the centre of the park, and that man would be Paulo Bernardo.

Paulo Bernardo of Celtic vies with Shane Blaney of Livingston during the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Livingston at Celtic Park on August 23, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Bernardo has been very unfortunate to have been consistently overlooked by Brendan thus far this campaign, and we’ve seen enough of him to know that his style of play would certainly complement our midfield.

For Paulo to be slotted into that midfield however, would mean someone would have to give way, and for me that man should be Reo Hatate, for a couple of games at least.

Reo Hatate of Celtic Crvena zvezda v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Football, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – 24 Sep 2025Belgrade Rajko Mitic Stadium Serbia Photo Nikola Krstic Shutterstock

Reo Hatate is a naturally gifted player, one who is our most creative outlet, that’s not for debate, but recently he’s not been quite at his best, judging him by his own high standards and maybe he needs a reminder he has a bit of competition for his place?

There’s no doubt we missed Reo’s creativity at the end of last season, and we could and most likely would have won a treble had he been available for the Scottish Cup final showdown with Aberdeen, but we now have Benjamin Nygren who gives us that added creativity in the middle of the park to offset Reo’s absence.

It most likely won’t happen, but Paulo should be handed a chance over the next run of fixtures, just to freshen up the midfield if anything else.

With Celtic now moving to the busy three games a week schedule, it should mean that Brendan Rodgers will revert to the squad rotation policy that worked well last season. Strangely enough while the team got through that  really well, we seemed to dip after the game in Munich and you;dn;t really find top form again last season.

Arne Engels – theRangers v Celtic,31 August 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Players in contention for a start in midfield tomorrow are the three usual first picks this season – McGregor, Hatate, and Nygren and you would expect at least one change tomorrow so that could be Bernardo, Arne Engels of Luke McCowan.

Luke McCowan of Celtic celebrates scoring to give Celtic a 1-0 lead. Celtic v St Mirren, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, Glasgow, 3 August 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace, IMAGO / Shutterstock (The Celtic Star)

Some supporters wouldn’t mind see Bernardo, Engels and McCowan all get a start but that’s not likely to happen.

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