As soon as the team lines were revealed at Celtic Park yesterday afternoon, there was something pre-ordained about Dedryck Boyata’s role in what was about to follow.

As the controversial defender made his first appearance of the season – and his first appearance since refusing to play against AEK Athens and FK Suduva – he turned the jeers from the home support to awkward cheers with the only goal of a desperately turgid game.

Boyata and his agent have made no secret of their wish to quit the club and head elsewhere. With five days remaining it is entirely possible that his desire will be granted and while this potential second-off will not atone for this conduct since Celtic dismissed a £9m offer for him from Fulham three weeks ago, it seemed like the start of some sort of redemption.

Interestingly, goalkeeper Craig Gordon ran the length of the pitch to congratulate the defender when he broke the deadlock just after the hour mark and there was no shortage of similarly enthusiastic offerings from his team-mates.

Still, when the stadium announcer gave the man of the match award to Moussa Dembele there was a suspicion that even had the Belgian netted a hat-trick he wouldn’t have done enough to take that particular gong.

Boyata’s inclusion in the starting line-up came as a surprise but it was a decision not to everyone’s liking. The Green Brigade unfurled a banner which read “Boyata: Not fit to wear the jersey” as the players headed out of the tunnel and onto the pitch to kick the game off.

It wasn’t unnoticed by the defender who, at one stage in the second period, had gone to retrieve the ball just in front of the Green Brigade section. There was no obvious exchange other than a fierce look from the player thrown in their direction.

It came on the back of some booing as his name was read out before kick-off, although there was significant applause in his favour in the opening minutes of the game when he was quick to intervene as Hamilton Accies’ Mikel Miller advanced.

Miller had already posted notice of his ability to unsettle the Celtic defence. There were just 30 seconds on the clock when the players had brought out a save from Gordon Gordon after breaching Celtic’s backline.

The bulk of the action, though, was one way.

Accies set themselves up to frustrate Celtic and although there were a handful of chances in the opening period, there were none which bore fruit.

“It was an important win for us on the back of a European game,” said Brendan Rodgers afterwards. “Big credit to the players, because it’s never easy against Hamilton.

“They defend very strongly and have fit players who move well and deny you space in the game. We knew we would have to be patient. We created opportunities, didn’t quite take them but eventually made the breakthrough.

“Apart from the first 20 seconds, we didn’t give anything away defensively. We looked solid and tight. You always hope you can get more goals to decide the game earlier but it wasn’t to be. We take the goal and clean sheet, we’re happy with the three points.”

Moussa Dembele had the best of the lot with the last kick of the first half when he clipped the crossbar with a long range effort while prior to that he had a header at the back post that went just wide of the target.

The Frenchman had used his strength at one point in the opening stages to hold off three Accies jerseys at one stage before teeing up Forrest, while Tom Rogic had also looked to unleash Forrest with the winger’s effort on that occasion deflected past the post.

Celtic piled on the pressure in the second period with Dembele coming close with a header that was tipped just over the bar.

When the breakthrough inevitably came, however, it was Boyata who was there to get the ball over the line.

Leigh Griffiths’ corner was met by the head of Dembele and as a scramble ensued in Accies’ box, it was Boyata who was quickest to react to prod the ball over the line. The defender almost netted a second with 13 minutes of the game remaining but he scooped his effort over the bar.

Whether he is still at the club a week from now remains to be seen.

“I’m not thinking anything other than that,” said Rodgers. “He’s in his last year and you never know how the game works. But, like I said to him, however long you are here - whether it’s a week or the rest of the season - your best place is on the training field and out on the pitch on a match day.

“So we want him there. He’s been a big part of what we have done for the last couple of years. I respect that a football career is short and you have to maximise your playing time.

“We will see what happens this week but I’m not planning for anything other than Dedryck being here.”

With five days remaining of the window if Celtic are able to get in a replacement then the expectancy is that Boyata will go.

Certainly, this week is set to be particularly definitive for Celtic. With the Europa League qualifier against Suduva looming on Thursday night before Sunday’s game against Rangers at Celtic Park, it is not just new arrivals this week that will offer scope for interest but also how Rodgers’ team perform on the park.

It was a stodgy display against a Hamilton side that set out to frustrate and the case for fresh legs is one that has been a recurring narrative these past few months.

What will unfold over the next seven days at Celtic could significantly set the pattern for how the season will evolve.