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    Celtic legend baffled by derby demolisher’s disappearance from first team picture

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    By Ryan McDonald

    Copyright dailyrecord

    Celtic legend baffled by derby demolisher’s disappearance from first team picture

    Frank McAvennie admits he’s baffled as to why Celtic outcast Paulo Bernardo has barely had a look in this season. Frozen-out Bernardo has featured in just two of the Hoops’ eight games so far, totalling 71 minutes of action. Just like £11million record signing Arne Engels , the pair find themselves behind summer signing Benjamin Nygren in the pecking order, with Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate regulars in the engine room. But Macca believes Brendan Rodgers needs to shake things up in the middle of the park, insisting fringe man Bernardo is deserving of an opportunity. Speaking on the Let Me Be Frank podcast , he said: “I think Hatate, McGregor and whoever else is in there… there are three of them and I think they have to change that up. “I don’t understand why Bernardo isn’t playing. I don’t get it. I honestly don’t get it. “CalMac could get a couple of days’ rest, I think. Just because he’s the captain… he’s got to be rested the same as everyone else, you know?” Ex-Benfica starlet Bernardo, 23, watched on from the bench as Celts left it late to secure a dramatic three points at Rugby Park on Sunday. New Bhoy Seb Tounekti dazzled on the wing in a man of the match showing but it was super-sub Kelechi Iheanacho who stole the headlines with a last-minute penalty on his debut. Centenary legend Macca said: “I was impressed with the debutants. I didn’t think Iheanacho would be anywhere near it. He wasn’t up to pace from what I heard. “But it was great to see him on the bench. He came on in the second-half and he’s said to Callum, ‘I’ll take it’. “I thought, ‘Wow’. If you miss this, this is going to make or break you. He scored, I was so delighted for the boy. “Jumped into the crowd, got a booking and he’s endeared himself in that space of a couple of minutes. “It’s people like that who you need at Celtic who can walk into the dressing room and say, ‘This is my place’. “The other boy I was so impressed by was Seb Tounekti. He was like a quicker version of Kuhn. “He took them on not just once but all the time. Quite rightly he got man of the match, so I’m delighted for him.”

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