HATATE CLOSE TO MATCH FIT
international break with Hatate among a clutch of players set to get valuable minutes into their legs. And the Parkhead boss can’t wait to go into the home straight in the title race with close to a full squad for almost the first time this season. All going well Hatate will be back for the return to Premiership action against Livingston on March 31 – with the third Old Firm of the season at Ibrox seven days later. The 26-year-old has managed only 13 Celtic appearances since Rodgers returned in the summer. But the manager reckons he can play a big part in the run-in with eight league games remaining and a Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen. Rodgers revealed Hatate was back in training last week and “progressing well”. Now he’s set to step that up in a friendly. He said: “Yeah, that’s the plan. “We want to get minutes into Reo and push him on. “We’ll get some of the players working here, have a game and get some of them up to speed. Reo will be huge for us.” Callum McGregor has missed the last three games with Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston, Daizen Maeda, Luis Palma and Yang Hyun-jun out for spells. Liam Scales was the latest to break down in training last week. But the defender is expected to return against Livi and Rodgers said: “It’s just been one of those seasons. Players have picked up funny little injuries – like Reo who was coming back and then picked one up with his international team. “We’ve been close to getting everyone back and around it. There was a little period there. But it hasn’t sort of happened yet. “The important thing is we’re still there, still fighting and still in a really good place. Then we’ll go into the last leg of the race, which I’m looking forward to.” Hatate last started for Celtic in the 2-2 Champions League draw with Atletico Madrid on October 25. The Hoops have won all eight of the domestic games he’s played and Rodgers said last week: “Having the availability of that level of player, the dynamism he has, clearly it’s something that we’ve missed.” Celtic have announced they’ll play Chelsea in their pre-season tour of the US this summer. Rodgers’ side will take on Mauricio Pochettino’s superstars at the iconic University of Notre Dame on July 27. This will be the last of three friendlies Stateside, with the first two still to be revealed. Rodgers said: “I know Mauricio well and I look forward to seeing him and his team again for what I’m sure will be a brilliant occasion between two major European clubs.”