There always seems to be selection dilemmas heading into a Glasgow Derby for Celtic. Thankfully, these headaches are positive ones rather than those that will keep Brendan Rodgers up at night.

Indeed, there are slight question marks on who should feature on the wings for the club at Ibrox, due to the good form shown by both Yang Hyun-jun and Nicolas Kuhn over the last month. Though the latter may very well be in possession of that hypothetical ‘yellow jersey’, the question is not without validity, which provides Rodgers with food for thought.

However, this area is not the main location for contention concerning Sunday’s crunch match versus Rangers in the Scottish Premiership. That is saved for the midfield, as Rodgers – based on his injury update tomorrow - has a decision to make regarding his midfield three. Tomorrow will give us a clearer indication as to the pieces available to Rodgers for the weekend’s events, as he addresses the media for the final time before facing off against Philippe Clement and his Rangers side.

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In an ideal world, the Northern Irishman’s team would already be set in stone. There are few that would argue against a midfield three of captain Callum McGregor, the dynamic Reo Hatate and this season’s star player Matt O’Riley, though the former’s injury has thrown a spanner in the works ever so slightly. After being taken off at half-time versus Dundee in that resounding 7-1 win over Tony Docherty’s promoted side, McGregor has not featured whatsoever for both club and country since February 28.

However, in midfield chaos, opportunity presents itself to those looking to make an impact in the captain’s place. Though he came into the side prior to McGregor’s injury, Tomoki Iwata has been an ever-present over the past six games for Celtic. Deployed in the defensive midfield role, he has been a steady customer in all but one of his outings – that 2-0 defeat to Hearts last month at Tynecastle – and has brought solidity and steel to a midfield that had displayed weakness previously. His latest performance was his best yet, as he earned the ‘Star Man’ accolade for his impressive showing at the Tony Macaroni Arena, albeit against weaker opposition in relegation-bound Livingston.

Despite all of this positivity surrounding Iwata, he may very well find himself on the bench at the weekend for the Glasgow Derby, due to two big returnees. Also featuring in that 3-0 victory last weekend was Hatate, who ran the show from a creative point of view in the middle of the park. Agile, flashy and effective, Iwata’s fellow countryman was front and centre of all things positive in the forward areas for the duration of his time on the plastic pitch, in what was a memorable 65 minutes for Celtic’s number 41. Though the opening goal was not directly attributed to himself, Hatate had a massive part to play in breaking the deadlock, despite Jamie Brandon’s touch that fooled Shamal George.

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Having garnered precious game-time the week before in a bounce match versus St Mirren, you would think that Hatate is in good shape to start the biggest game of the season on Sunday. Injuries have hampered the midfielder all season, meaning he has massive chunks of action for both Celtic and Japan this campaign, which has been felt greatly. No stranger to the Glasgow Derby, Hatate famously scored two on his debut appearance in the fixture in 2022 under Ange Postecoglou, a night that is still revered two years later. His performance in the League Cup final at Hampden last year was a further indication of his talents in the middle of the park, as he played a key role in delivering Postecoglou’s first of three trophies back to Celtic Park.

With Hatate now fully fit and O’Riley essentially a first-pick for every game from now until the end of the season – barring both suspension and injury – it leaves those not starting with a challenge to overcome. The scorer of Celtic’s best goal on the day last Sunday, Paulo Bernardo was the talk of the town the last time the two sides faced off back in December. Indeed, his volley opened the scoring in proceedings at Celtic Park, with his overall performance leaving many in no doubt about his loan contract being made a permanent one in the summer. Admittedly, since the winter break, there has been a drop in form from the Portugal U21 international, though his finish on Sunday was a fresh reminder of his talents, despite the slight deflection off of Ayo Obileye’s leg.

Much like Iwata, if McGregor is fit and ready then you would expect Bernardo to make way for the captain and his trusted accomplice in Hatate. Still, this should not be viewed as a snub by the Benfica loanee, but more of an opportunity to impact proceedings from the substitute bench. Perhaps he will be more accepting of his position in the squad than Iwata, due to the game-time differential between the pair in favour of the Japan midfielder.

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If we’re being perfectly honest, most – if not all – will be hoping that the captain is back where he belongs, in the engine room of Rodgers’ squad. A mainstay when all is well, his two performances thus far in the Glasgow Derbies this campaign have been mammoth. Despite Kyogo scoring the two vital goals in as many games, these wins would not have been possible without the leadership and guidance of McGregor, the team’s skipper. Quite simply: if the captain is fit, then the captain plays.

There are no doubts that both Bernardo and Iwata have a major part to play in this game, regardless of whether they start or remain on the bench. It is a team effort, after all, and one – if not both – will be called upon later on in the game, especially given McGregor and Hatate’s match fitness.

It's going to take a united and cooperative effort to defeat Rangers in their own backyard. With the strength in depth that Rodgers has at his disposal, that feat becomes just a little bit more realistic to accomplish.