Rodgers could replace Iwata by unleashing Celtic’s "outrageous" dynamo
Celtic are currently sat at the top of the Scottish Premiership table during the international break after their 3-1 win over St. Johnstone last weekend.
Goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn, and James Forrest put the Hoops 3-0 up before a late consolation strike from Connor Smith for the away side finished off the scoring.
They are now one point clear of rivals Rangers, whose game at Dundee was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, having played one more match.
After the international break, Celtic should be hoping for a strong end to the season in order to win the SFA Cup and Premiership title, rather than enduring a trophyless campaign.
The national team matches may have come at the perfect time for Brendan Rodgers, who could have a couple of key players back fit by next week.
Latest Celtic injury news
Captain Callum McGregor has been absent in recent weeks with an Achilles injury but could be back in action after the break, with the manager hopeful that he will be available to face Livingston.
There is no guarantee that the Scotland international, who was not in contention to feature for his country this month, will be ready to return for that match but the ex-Liverpool tactician will assess the midfielder's fitness ahead of that game.
Central defender Maik Nawrocki suffered a hamstring injury last month and there has been no timescale given on his return to first-team involvement, which means that it remains to be seen whether or not he will be available to face Livi.
Appearances
8
Starts
5
Pass accuracy
86%
Ground duel success rate
70%
Aerial duel success rate
46%
One player who looks set to be in contention to feature against Livingston, however, is central midfielder Reo Hatate after he made his return in a friendly earlier this week.
The Japan international played 45 minutes in a bounce game against St Mirren on Wednesday, a match in which Gustaf Lagerbielke and Hyeon-gyu Oh also took part.
Hatate has been out of action since the winter break after he suffered injuries to both of his calves whilst playing for his country back in January.
His appearance in the friendly clash earlier this week suggests that the terrific midfielder could have a chance of being in the squad to face Livingston when the Hoops return to Premiership action next Sunday.
With this in mind, Rodgers could brutally ditch Tomoki Iwata, who has emerged as a regular this year, from the starting XI to make way for Hatate, whether that is in the next game, or whenever the Japanese star is ready to be selected from the start.
Tomoki Iwata's Celtic emergence
The 26-year-old battler has worked his way into the starting line-up for the Hoops during the second half of the campaign, after a difficult start to the season.
Nine of his 11 appearances in the Premiership have come since the start of November, and all six of his starts in the division have come since the start of December.
The Japan international has provided a calm presence on the ball at the base of the midfield set-up for Rodgers, with a pass completion rate of 92% across those 11 top-flight clashes.
However, Iwata has left a little bit to be desired with his lack of quality out of possession for the Scottish giants. He has lost 56% of his duels, including 62% of his battles on the ground, and only made 1.1 tackles and interceptions combined per match in the Premiership.
This suggests that opposition players have found it too easy to outmuscle and get the better of him in the middle of the park at times, whilst the midfielder has also struggled to make multiple defensive interventions per game.
Key passes per game
0.6
16th
Dribbles per game
0.0
Joint-27th
Shots per game
0.8
21st
Assists
1
Joint-12th
Goals
1
Joint-15th
Whilst his pass accuracy speaks to his reliability and composure on the ball, the statistics in the table above show that Iwata has not made a big impact in possession at the top end of the pitch.
Why Reo Hatate should replace Tomoki Iwata
If Hatate is back fit and available, Rodgers must brutally ditch Iwata to unleash the "outrageous" – as described by Scotland international John McGinn – whiz in his place.
The £16k-per-week dynamo has scored two goals and provided two assists – twice as many of each compared to his compatriot – in just eight league appearances in an injury-disrupted campaign so far.
Last season, the 26-year-old magician was a regular starter under Ange Postecoglou and caught the eye with both his contributions in and out of possession for the Bhoys.
Hatate averaged 1.5 tackles and interceptions per match, which was marginally more than Iwata has managed this term, but his strength in his duels stood out. The impressive gem won 56% of his battles on the ground and 59% of his aerial contests across 32 league matches.
This suggests that he could offer more than the current starter in terms of his strength off the ball, as he can dominate opposition players in duels – rather than being dominated.
Appearances
32
11
Goals
6
1
Assists
8
1
Big chances created
10
1
Key passes per game
1.3
0.6
Dribbles completed per game
0.8
0.0
As you can see in the table above, the recently injured Celtic star also has the edge over Iwata when it comes to making things happen at the top end of the pitch.
He has the quality to score and create goals at an impressive rate – with more Premiership goals than any other central midfielder in the squad last season – and could provide the team with another threat in possession over the coming weeks and months.
Therefore, Rodgers should brutally ditch Iwata from the starting line-up as soon as Hatate is fit enough to start, due to his superior qualities on and off the ball in the middle of the park.