Beware Hibees, the Ox is about to be unleashed

Celtic’s pivotal Scottish Premiership meeting with Hibernian at Parkhead tomorrow has been cast in an even sharper light by the mid-week Europa League setback against VfB Stuttgart, and interim boss Martin O’Neill may be poised to unleash the club’s newest weapon—Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

With Arne Engels ruled out, the midfield conundrum that has dogged the champions deepened on Thursday when neither Paulo Bernardo nor Reo Hatate seized the opportunity against the Germans. The solution, increasingly, points to the 32-year-old Englishman who has already shown flashes of his pedigree in two cameo appearances.

Oxlade-Chamberlain, paraded before the home support ahead of the Scottish Cup fifth-round tie with Dundee on 7 February, marked his introduction to Celtic supporters with a tireless shift off the bench in the 3-2 win at Kilmarnock on 15 February and followed up by scoring within minutes of his introduction against Livingston four days earlier. Those glimpses have convinced the coaching staff that the former Arsenal and Liverpool midfielder is ready for a first start.

“He’s had a full week of training and looks sharp,” O’Neill hinted after Saturday’s session at Lennoxtown. “We’ll need every ounce of experience for the run we’re facing.”

That run begins against a Hibs side still in the hunt for a top-six berth and continues with back-to-back visits to Ibrox and a rearranged trip to Pittodrie—fixtures that could decide the destination of the title. Dropping points tomorrow, O’Neill stressed, “isn’t an option”.

Celtic’s midfield has lacked both tempo control and a cutting edge in recent derby disappointments; Oxlade-Chamberlain’s ability to dictate rhythm and produce a moment of individual brilliance addresses both deficiencies. His presence, allied to Callum McGregor’s leadership, offers a balance of steel and creativity that has been missing since Engels’ injury.

A robust outing against a combative Easter Road outfit would accelerate the Englishman’s match fitness ahead of the first Old Firm clash, where a smaller travelling support than the following week’s return could make early ascendancy even more critical.

For a squad desperate to erase the memory of Stuttgart and re-assert domestic dominance, unleashing the Ox from the opening whistle appears the clearest path to three points—and to momentum that could define a turbulent season.