Celtic have suffered a major blow ahead of next week’s Scottish Cup Final, with Reo Hatate officially ruled out of the Hampden showdown following a reckless late challenge during the 5-1 win over Aberdeen.
The Japanese midfielder was forced off the pitch near the end of the game after a crunching tackle from Pape Gueye, which drew immediate ire from Brendan Rodgers on the touchline. Hatate, who had only just come off the bench, was visibly in pain and left the pitch with an ice pack strapped to his knee.
Rodgers confirmed on Friday: “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 are probably talking that he’ll be okay for the beginning of pre-season but it’s just a shame for us and even more so for him that he misses these two games.”
Reflecting on the nature of the challenge, Rodgers did not hold back. “I said at the time, I thought it was a needless challenge. Everyone knew it was a free-kick and he’s just there to stop the ball from running away. For that to happen in those circumstances, it’s not nice.” [RecordSport]
Hatate’s absence is a bitter pill to swallow for Celtic, particularly given his superb run of form and his remarkable consistency this term, featuring in every match Celtic have played across all competitions. After a frustrating injury-hit campaign last year, he had put those concerns behind him with a resilient and dynamic presence in midfield.
With the league title already secured, Saturday’s trophy day against St Mirren now takes on a more sombre tone as supporters will be denied the chance to see Hatate one last time this season. Attention now turns to who will fill the void in the engine room when Celtic face Aberdeen at Hampden, with Paulo Bernardo and Luke McCowan likely to fight for his place in the team.
