Celtic’s mauling of Hearts eliminated many of the question marks hanging over Martin O’Neill’s side – but one significant question remains.

What does Sunday’s incredible seven-goal victory tell us about record signing Kasper Hogh’s place in the team?

Benched for the visit of last season’s Scottish Premiership runners-up, a dynamic front three of Camilo Duran, Callum Osmand and Haissem Hassan were integral to a scintillating attacking display.

In the aftermath of last Thursday’s chastening Europa League defeat at Benfica, during which Hogh was hooked at half-time, O’Neill backed the 25-year-old to end the campaign with 20 goals.

But is the £11m man now fighting for a starting spot?

Having scored in just one of his 12 Celtic appearances – a hat-trick at Kilmarnock in August – O’Neill acknowledges his marquee summer acquisition is low on confidence, with a Europa League match against Celta Vigo to come on Thursday.

“He has lost a bit of confidence, but we will get that back during the course of time,” the veteran boss said in the lead-up to Sunday’s demolition of Hearts.

“We have game after game after game between now and January, but he will score goals for us, there is no question about it, and it is just a matter of tinkering around, but that’s the nature of the business.”

The Denmark forward did come off the bench at the weekend to set up Benjamin Nygren for Celtic’s seventh goal. He also assisted the Sweden midfielder during the 2-0 win at Motherwell seven days earlier.

However, Hogh’s performance in the 4-1 defeat in Lisbon, sandwiched between those two Premiership victories, intensified the debate surrounding his place in the team.

“If I’m a creative player and I’ve got Duran and Hogh to pick from, I’m taking Duran every day of the week,” former Celtic midfielder Scott Allan said.

“He looks to get off the side of defenders. If you put a ball into the area, he’s more likely to be alive to it.”

Hogh was brought off at the break in Lisbon, with Duran, who has been the standout of Celtic’s summer arrivals, moved to the centre of the attack.

With Hassan and Osmand on either side, O’Neill’s frontline looked far more potent in a much-improved second-half display.

The same trio that finished Thursday’s match started on Sunday, and Hearts simply could not live with them.

An Osmand double helped the champions establish a 5-1 half-time lead, while Duran’s ninth goal of the campaign was one of two Celtic goals after the break.

It seems inconceivable that an £11m signing would not be a guaranteed starter for a Scottish club.

That said, Celtic fans were encouraged to see Hogh embrace fellow forward Osmand as he left the pitch at half-time on Sunday.

There is therefore nothing to suggest, from the outside, that ego will get in the way if the Dane spends time out of the first-choice XI.

Sunday’s emphatic 7-1 victory has gone some way towards settling the debate, at least for now: Celtic’s best forward line appears to be one that does not include their record signing.

“There have been question marks over whether Celtic’s best attack involves Hogh. For me, it doesn’t,” BBC Scotland pundit Andy Halliday said on The Monday Night Club.

The former Hearts, Rangers and Motherwell midfielder added: “There’s no doubt there’s a goalscorer in there with Hogh. You don’t score in the Champions League against Manchester City, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid if you’re not. He’s just a goalscorer who isn’t scoring goals.”

The same cannot be said of Duran, who is thriving in a Celtic shirt and has 14 goal contributions – nine goals and five assists – in 15 games, many of which have come while playing in a wide role.

However, O’Neill has said that the Colombia international prefers to play centrally, and Halliday believes he can offer Celtic much more in that position – but what does that mean for Hogh?

“You look at Duran as a number nine on Sunday, the part he plays in the third goal, the fourth goal,” Halliday said.

“When Jamie McCart takes a loose touch, Hogh wouldn’t be close enough or quick enough to get on to that loose ball and spring Celtic into attack. Duran isn’t just a goalscorer, he’s so much more than that – and you saw that on Sunday.

“O’Neill still reckons Hogh will score 20 goals this season. It’s hard to suggest he wouldn’t, given his previous record at Bodo/Glimt, but at this moment in time, he isn’t doing enough to be in Celtic’s attack.

“O’Neill’s searching for his best team and best front three, and the three you saw on Sunday are that.”