Celtic reasserted their authority at the top of the Scottish Premiership with a string of victories heading into the winter break, including a 2-1 win against title-rivals Rangers in a gripping Old Firm derby.
Back-to-back defeats to Kilmarnock and Hearts allowed Rangers to close the gap to five points with two games in hand, but Brendan Rodgers' men have extended it to eight points. It's still a very hotly-contested race for the Premiership crown.
The Parkhead faithful hold their breath as influential duo Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate head to the 2023 Asian Cup, potentially leaving a sizeable gap in the Celtic' attack, although they will have talismanic striker Kyogo Furuhashi available after he was overlooked by Japan boss Hajime Moriyasu.
The tournament was initially due to be held in China this summer but it was decided last year that, due to the country's Covid policies, it would be moved to Qatar instead. But just how many games will the pair miss? Buckle up, because the answer depends on a few key factors.
How many games will Hatate & Maeda miss?
The Scottish Premiership will be on a winter break for the first two weekends of January, but with play due to resume from 20 January onwards, there is clear potential for Hatate and Maeda to miss some league games, and the fourth round of the Scottish Cup depending upon Japan's progress at the tournament in Qatar.
Japan are considered among the favourites for the competition, which begins on January 12 and ends on February 10. They have been drawn in Group D and will face Indonesia, Iraq and Vietnam in the first round.
Should the Samurai Blue shockingly crash out at the group stage, the attacking duo's absence could be limited to just a couple of games, and might as well return to the bench
However, a deep run towards the final would see them miss at least four matches. If Celtic beat Buckie Thistle and go past the fourth round of the Scottish Cup, then the attackers are certain to miss five matches as the fifth round of the Scottish Cup will likely be played on the same day as AFC Asian Cup 2023 final.
| Date | Fixture | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| January 21 | Buckie Thistle (A) | Scottish Cup |
| January 27 | Ross County (H) | Scottish Premiership |
| February 3 | Aberdeen (A) | Scottish Premiership |
| February 8 | Hibernian (A) | Scottish Premiership |
| February 10 | Scottish Cup potential 5th-round tie | Scottish Cup |
The potential return tickets will also depend on the Asian Cup's twists and turns. Should Japan be eliminated at the round of 16 stage, the duo could potentially return for Celtic's away trip to Aberdeen on February 3.
In the event of Japan's elimination at the quarter-finals, which will be played on February 2 and 3, then Hatate and Maeda will be absent for the Aberdeen game, and should be able to return for Celtic's away game versus Hibernian on February 8.
If Japan are eliminated in the semi-finals on February 6/7, the offensive pair will not only miss the clash against Hibernian, but also the potential Scottish Cup fifth-round tie on February 10 due to the quick turnaround between international duty and that fixture.
If South Korea reach the final, then the duo won't miss any additional Celtic games and will return for their clash against Kilmarnock on February 17.