Since getting a 25 minute run out in the 4-0 defeat from Bayer Leverkusen last month James McCarthy has been absent from the Celtic team.
With Scott Brown, Olivier Ntcham and Ryan Christie moving on during the summer midfield was an area badly in need of new signings but when the window closed only the former Crystal Palace had been added to that area.
Big things were expected of McCarthy after a decade of speculation but accompanying the hopes were concerns about his fitness.
The midfielder arrived at Crystal Palace on a free transfer from Everton, over his two seasons at Selhurst he started 26 of 76 EPL matches with a further 23 appearances off the bench.
There are far worse stats out there, those appearance figures are far higher than Tom Rogic has managed (16 in 76) but so far at Celtic McCarthy has still to complete a full 90 minutes.
On Friday Ange Postecoglou declared Josip Juranovic and McCarthy fit and available to face St Johnstone but while the defender started and scored the midfielder watched the match from the stand.
Hibs away is a tougher assessment which might require the presence of McCarthy coming off the bench, covering Tuesday’s training pictures from Lennoxtown, the Daily Record reports:
James McCarthy hasn’t featured in close to a month after a knock, but could be in the running to face Hibs.
He was front and centre among the first-team stars being put through their paces by Postecoglou, having not made an appearance for Celtic since the Europa League defeat to Bayer Leverkusen.
Since joining Celtic McCarthy has started three matches and made five substitute appearances.
I did not understand why he was signed has been in and out of playing football for several years with injuries and if playing with rogic midfield becomes to slow and he is overated in my opinion.