Martin O’Neill faces Celtic selection headache as Sebastian Tounekti comes under fire
Former Celtic defender Charlie Mulgrew has urged Martin O’Neill to reconsider his reliance on Sebastian Tounekti following the impressive performances of Callum Osmand and Haissem Hassan.
The Tunisian winger has struggled to convince sections of the Celtic support since arriving from Hammarby, with his lack of end product becoming a growing concern.
Having featured in Celtic’s opening 14 matches of the season, Tounekti was substituted at half-time during Thursday’s 4-1 Europa League defeat to Benfica before being omitted from the squad for Sunday’s emphatic 7-1 victory over Hearts.
Osmand and Hassan impressed after their introduction in Lisbon, operating alongside Camilo Duran, before the attacking trio played a significant role in dismantling the Jambos at Celtic Park.
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, Mulgrew questioned why Tounekti had continued to receive opportunities ahead of his teammates.
He said: “The second half in Benfica, that front three were brilliant.
“Osmand ran in behind, which Tounekti hadn’t done the whole first half.
“Hassan takes the ball in the first 20 minutes and gets a couple of crosses into the box and a couple of attempts at goal, and all of a sudden things look a bit brighter.
“He gets an assist, and then you think – I said it before the game – why is Tounekti playing? I continuously see Tounekti starting games for Celtic, and wonder why. I don’t think he offers anywhere near enough.”
Mulgrew was particularly impressed by Osmand, who scored twice against Hearts despite operating outside his preferred central attacking position.
The 20-year-old has endured injury setbacks since joining Celtic from Fulham in the summer of 2025, but his recent displays have strengthened his case for a regular starting place.
Mulgrew believes the youngster has done enough to retain his position for Thursday’s Europa League encounter.
He continued: “He’s playing on the left-hand side, which isn’t his natural position.
“He’s not really a winger, but he’s proved from the wing that he can get inside and run in behind and also get goals.
“There’s bits of his game that he can improve but he’s come on against Benfica and looked sharp, and then he’s scored two goals against Hearts and he should start on Thursday night.
“He’s earned that right, but he needs to keep it going.”
The former Hoops defender also questioned Tounekti’s attacking contribution, suggesting Hassan offers considerably more creativity and directness in wide areas.
Mulgrew added: “He must be doing something in training, and Hassan must be walking about in training.
“Martin O’Neill sees them every day in training, but I can only see Hassan as somebody that can create and produce something.
“Tounekti receives the ball, checks back and goes backwards every time, and it’s not even to take the ball on to his other foot and cross it.
“You need to do something as a winger, you need to go and create, that’s your job.”
