With O’Neill now back at the helm, the DR Congo international is set for an opportunity when Celtic take on Auchinleck Talbot in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup on Sunday.

Amid a gruelling fixture schedule that includes away trips to Bologna and Hearts next week, O’Neill will rotate the side at Rugby Park.

“I think he’s just waiting for his turn and waiting for an opportunity to play,” O’Neill said when asked why Balikwisha hasn’t been in the previous two matchday squads. “Hopefully, he will be involved on Sunday in the game.

“He’s been away for the Africa Cup of Nations [AFCON] as well. But I did say to him at the time – even though he didn’t get a start under me, he came on a couple of times as sub, but the games were pretty well fired through at that stage – I said to him that the new manager coming in may well find out that he’s as good as everything that we have at the football club. And that may still be the case.

“In terms of the training, he’s just back, he’s been back now a few days. He wasn’t in the squad for the game the other night [against Falkirk], but he’ll participate tomorrow and give me an idea. I know it’s on the plastic surface, but even so, it gives me an opportunity to have a look.”

Michel-Ange Balikwisha (Image: PA)

After switching allegiances from Belgium, the country of his birth, to DR Congo, Balikwisha was called up to play at the recent AFCON. His team were eliminated in the round of 16 by Algeria, with a last-minute goal in extra-time proving decisive. In the build-up to Adil Boulbina’s late stunner, Balikwisha gave the ball away, sparking widespread criticism.

“He got disappointed in the AFCON,” O’Neill continued. “He got on pretty late on and it went into extra time.

“I think he lost the ball in some aspect, but the goal was scored much, much later than was said. There was build-up and stuff like this here, but he was blaming himself for that. He’s a really, genuinely nice lad.”

Celtic paid Royal Antwerp £5million for the services of the 24-year-old at the end of the summer transfer window. He has registered 13 appearances across all competitions this term, only two of which were starts. Thus far, Balikwisha is yet another example of Celtic’s subpar recruitment.

Although initially brought in as a left-winger, O’Neill reckons he is best suited to playing elsewhere.

“He’s a very, very nice footballer,” he said. “A really nice player and trains well too. He’s never come in and moaned about not being in the side, I suppose.

“My view would be that he would be more like a number 10. Absolutely. He wouldn’t be a full-blown striker and he’s definitely not a wide player.”

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In a season that has continued to raise question marks about Celtic’s quality in the final third, the answer could be in plain sight. No one will get carried away if Balikwisha is the man of the match against Talbot, yet he must start performing somewhere.

An upturn in form would provide O’Neill with a new, and somewhat unexpected, option in an attack-minded midfield role. Balikwisha hasn’t started since September 14 – coincidentally at Rugby Park – and ahead of this weekend, the message from the manager is clear.

“Just go,” O’Neill said. “I’ve seen this even with Sir Alex Ferguson and people who maybe change the side around and say this is your opportunity. And then the game doesn’t go so well – maybe not necessarily one individual’s fault – and then they find out that you revert back to your team again for the following game.

“I think it’s just up to the players now. It’s really up to him. It must be difficult for him to come in at the time he has done and not be getting the starts.

“I thought that Wilfried [Nancy] might have played him, but that’s everyone to their own. But really, as you say, we spent some money on him and it’s up to him now to try and do it.

“But he’s not complained, he hasn’t done any of those particular things. Now here’s an opportunity, albeit on an artificial surface.”