Haissem Hassan’s Celtic Future in Question After O’Neill Squad Snub — Have We Already Given Up on the £9m Winger?

Haissem Hassan’s absence from Celtic’s matchday squad against Kilmarnock has raised some interesting questions about his future at the club.

The Egyptian winger arrived from in the summer for a reported £9 million, with supporters expecting him to bring pace, creativity and some much-needed attacking quality to our forward line.

However, after being left completely out of Sunday’s squad, there are growing questions about where he currently stands in Martin O’Neill’s plans.

O’Neill was asked about Hassan’s omission after the 1-0 victory and explained that the club were doing some “manoeuvring” to create greater competition for places.

He added that proper competition could only make the squad better.

There is nothing wrong with that approach in principle. Nobody should be guaranteed a place in the Celtic team, particularly when performances have not been good enough.

But I do question whether Hassan is the player we should be leaving out completely.

We have spent much of this season complaining about the lack of natural wingers in our starting eleven. Hassan offers exactly that. He is willing to take defenders on, attack space and provide something different in the final third.

Yes, his end product needs to improve. We need to see more goals and assists, and there have been occasions when his decision-making has been frustrating.

But you cannot develop consistency without giving a player consistent opportunities.

The selection against Kilmarnock made the decision even more confusing.

Hassan was left out entirely, yet Sebastian Tounekti and Luke McCowan were both included in the matchday squad.

I have no issue with either player being involved, but what exactly does Hassan need to do to get back into contention?

With Jota returning to the starting eleven and Yang also making his return, competition in the wide areas is increasing. That is positive, but Celtic should be looking to have several genuine options rather than allowing talented players to disappear from the picture.

There is also the question of what happens in January.

If Hassan continues to find himself outside the squad, will he begin to question his role at Celtic? Could a loan move become an option, or will O’Neill look to give him another opportunity to prove himself?

It is far too early to suggest his Celtic career is coming to an end, but the situation is certainly worth monitoring.

We paid a significant transfer fee for Hassan, and there is clearly a player in there. We have seen flashes of his ability, even if the consistency has not always been there.

I would much rather see Celtic work on developing those qualities than give up on him after a difficult spell.

O’Neill is right to demand more from his players, but competition for places should not mean overlooking the qualities that made us sign them in the first place.

Hassan has something different to offer this Celtic team.

Now we need to find out whether Martin O’Neill still believes that.