Celtic return from the international break this weekend and face off against Hearts at Tynecastle Park in the Scottish Premiership this afternoon.
The Hoops have had a two-week break and will now be looking to continue their strong league form to increase their lead at the top of the table.
Brendan Rodgers' side are currently four points clear in first place, with a game in-hand, and have won each of their last five top-flight matches, since the 0-0 draw with St. Johnstone in August.
Celtic
1st
22
Rangers
2nd
18
St Mirren
3rd
15
Hearts
4th
11
Although, the Bhoys have also lost two of their last five games in all competitions due to losses against Lazio and Feyenoord in the Champions League.
They come into today's clash off the back of a 3-1 win over Kilmarnock at Parkhead last time out. Reo Hatate, Luis Palma, and Greg Taylor all got on the scoresheet as the Scottish giants secured a comfortable victory and all three points.
What's the latest Celtic team news?
Liel Abada will remain on the sidelines for this match as he continues to work his way through a thigh injury that he suffered during the international break last month.
The Hoops winger was given a return date of four months on from when he sustained the knock, and it has only been just over a month since then.
Rodgers has also confirmed that central defender Stephen Welsh will be unavailable for selection as the enforcer is not expected to be back in contention until December.
However, summer signing Maik Nawrocki has been back in training and the Polish titan could be an option for the Northern Irish head coach this afternoon.
With a Champions League clash with Atletico Madrid on the horizon, the Hoops boss could look to rotate his squad against Hearts in order to avoid fatigue and further injury issues.
Keeping that in mind, Rodgers must finally unleash South Korea international Hyeon-gyu Oh ahead of Kyogo Furuhashi from the start today.
How did Kyogo perform against Kilmarnock?
The Celtic star did not enjoy his best day at the office last time out as he struggled to make a positive impact on the match against Kilmarnock before the international break.
Off the ball, the opposition found it far too easy to dominate the diminutive ace as he lost all three of his physical duels over the course of his 88 minutes on the pitch.
This shows that Celtic did not have a reliable presence through the middle of the park as the former J1 League maestro struggled to deal with the physicality of the game.
As per Sofascore, Kyogo also failed to register a goal or an assist and did not record a single shot on target. The Japan international failed with both of his attempted dribbles and did not create any chances for his teammates.
These statistics show that the usually prolific gem, who completed seven passes in the match, had an off-day at the top end of the pitch with his lack of impact in and out of possession.
How many goals has Kyogo scored this season?
It was an out-of-character performance from Kyogo as he had scored four goals in his previous seven Premiership appearances this season before that clash.
The 27-year-old whiz has produced four goals and two assists, along with five 'big chances' created in eight top-flight outings in total this term.
Only Matt O'Riley (five) has scored more goals and only Callum McGregor (three) has provided more assists within the Celtic squad during the 2023/24 campaign.
This shows that the former Vissel Kobe star has, once again, been an influential figure for the Hoops in the final third at Premiership level this season, with his ability to score and create goals on a regular basis.
His strong start to the current term comes off the back of a 27-goal league season in the 2022/23 campaign. He scored 16 more goals than any of his teammates and scooped up the PFA Scotland Men's Player of the Year award for his fantastic form.
However, his dismal showing against Kilmarnock could provide Rodgers with the perfect opportunity to give him a rest, particularly ahead of the big Champions League clash with Atletico a few days later.
How many goals has Oh scored for Celtic?
The 22-year-old marksman has scored seven goals in 28 matches in all competitions since his move from Suwon Bluewings in January of this year.
He joined midway through the 2022/23 campaign and contributed with six goals in 16 Premiership appearances, along with one goal in four SFA Cup clashes.
The 6 foot 1 dynamo, who was described as an "improving" talent by South Korean hero Jung-won Seo, only started three of those league games and averaged a goal every 81 minutes for the Hoops during the second half of the season.
Kyogo averaged a goal every 86 minutes last term and has produced one every 159 minutes on average so far during the current campaign, which highlights how impressive Oh's return was.
However, Rodgers has not handed the South Korea international a single start in the Premiership this season as the Japanese ace has started every league match so far.
Oh has not been given an opportunity to showcase his ability, with zero goals in four appearances as a substitute to date, and the manager must finally unleash him from the start against Hearts this afternoon.
His goal return in minimal starts last term suggests that the potential is there for him to be a good option for the Hoops in place of Kyogo, which is why this could be a viable selection decision for the ex-Leicester boss to make.
It would allow the Japan international, who played twice and scored once for his country during the break, to rest up and prepare to start against Atletico during the week.
Instead of running Kyogo into the ground and possibly limiting the impact that he can have on the pitch, Rodgers could start Oh and keep his squad fresh whilst offering a rare opportunity to a player who could take his chance and be a difference-maker on the pitch for Celtic.