Ex Celtic hero nails it with his perspective on why Reo Hatate is superior to Paulo Bernardo.

Brendan Rodgers’ biggest challenge at Celtic this season has been coping with Reo Hatate’s injury.

The Japanese international has missed 34 games this season owing to hamstring and calf muscle injuries, and no Celtic player has stepped up to replace him. [Transfermarkt]

Sure, Brendan Rodgers attempted to fill the void with Odin Thiago Holm, David Turnbull, Tomoki Iwata, and Paulo Bernardo.

Iwata has only just stepped up after recovering from his own injury issues, while Bernardo appeared to be preferred over all four early in the season.

But Hatate’s return has exposed Bernardo’s flaws, and former Celtic hero Pat Bonner has shared the exact attributes that make the Japanese midfielder a far superior choice than the Portuguese.

Bonner claims Bernardo will ‘never’ be as creative as Hatate.

Bonner was presiding over Hatate’s return and stated that his passing and vision are two of many things that he does that make ‘the difference’ between the two players.

Bonner stated [Scottish Football Podcast]: “When you see a player that has been out for so long and he comes back, it’s just his influence on the game and the way that he plays the game.

“He doesn’t always stick in the same position, he moves around but what he’s always doing is always playing forward.

“Most of the time when he gets the ball, he’s always kind of open on that half turn, gets open and then he can see a pass.

“And that allows players off the ball to make runs that maybe they wouldn’t do when, I’m sorry but I’ve got to compare him to Bernardo because it’s the same position that he’s playing on that left side of a midfield three, Bernardo’s always facing with his back to the opposition goal.

“And he keeps the ball quite well, but he’s never going to be creative in the way that Hatate is and that’s the difference.”

The return of Hatate is a huge boost for Rodgers. The timing couldn’t be better, as the crucial Glasgow Derby approaches.

A win on Sunday will widen the title battle and put a gap between the two clubs until Rangers’ game against Dundee on April 10th.

The incentive for Rodgers and his team is there; all that is required is for players like Hatate to demonstrate their abilities and defeat Rangers at Ibrox this week.

In other news, McAvennie cautions Celtic to “be aware” of Rangers rumours he’s hearing