HE went from out left to left out.

Anthony Stokes returned from a recent visit back home to Dublin, that went on a bit longer than Ronny Deila would have liked, to find himself omitted from the squad for the Europa League tie against Internazionale. In the midst of a frustrating campaign, where he has been shunted into a left-sided role as part of the new manager's tactical reshuffle, this represented a new low.

Stokes, however, does not come across as a man prone to either lengthy periods of introspection or lingering regrets. At a time when he has flitted almost to the fringes of the Celtic first-team, his focus remains on the opportunities ahead, rather than any detailed analysis of the past. In his eyes, what has happened, has happened. It is time to move on to the next thing.

Stokes is an honest sort, often brutally so, but on his recent apparent indiscretion he was surprisingly circumspect. There was an admission of frustration at missing out on such a big tie, and of the increased competition for places following the arrival of Gary Mackay-Steven and Stuart Armstrong from Dundee United. Beyond that, Stokes chose to largely keep his counsel. Anyone expecting a public mea culpa was left disappointed.

"No, look the situation has been dealt with," he said. "It's as simple as that. I've spoken to the gaffer about it and there's no issue now. It's difficult for me to miss any game as I want to play every minute of them. I've always said that I'm that type of player. I probably do get a bit grumpy [if I'm not playing] but you just need to get your head around it. I've been here long enough and I've had periods on the sidelines when I've not been in the team. You can't lose heart. You have to work hard in training and just focus on your own game. When you get the opportunities, you have to try and take them.

"There's a lot of competition for places here at the minute and even after that it's not as if I've been a regular in the squad the past few weeks. I've played the last two games. Even for myself, I would have liked to have played a little bit better because I know the situation with the boys from Dundee United. They will be straight back in contention as soon as we have these games by us. It's up to me to obviously go out and try and put my stamp down and try to keep myself in the team."

The quirk of the fixtures list at least gives Stokes a chance to make an impression. Sunday's League Cup final will be the second of four consecutive matches between Celtic and Dundee United across three competitions and, with Mackay-Steven and Armstrong banned for three of those games, Stokes will likely get the chance to shine.

A penalty box striker, accustomed to playing in tandem with another centre forward, Deila's preference for a 4-2-3-1 formation has had sizeable ramifications for Stokes. Behind Leigh Griffiths and John Guidetti for the lone striker's role, Stokes has been asked to toil away down the left wing for most of the season, creating chances for others more often than taking them himself. Eight goals for the season is a poor return by his standards, something he credits to his positional realignment rather than any loss of form.

"I would rather be in the middle scoring goals but it is difficult the way we play just now," he admitted. "There is so much emphasis on getting back and defending and putting in the graft for the team. So it has been a bit of a strange season for me. I actually don't mind playing on the left but you never going to get the same plaudits as playing up front and scoring all the goals.

"It is different because even when I played up front before I have always played in a two. If I was to play up front I would be on my own and that probably isn't really my strength. I have just had to adjust. At the start of the season I was going through a spell where I was doing well. I had plenty of assists and got eight goals from the left, although I maybe should have had more. But there isn't much I can do about it. I am never going to hit 15-20 goals playing on the left, I don't think."

He retains happy memories of his man-of-the-match performance in the 2013 William Hill Scottish Cup final - in which he, ironically, didn't score but supplied two for Gary Hooper in a 3-0 win - and hopes a return to Hampden on Sunday can be just as rewarding.

"I haven't been outstanding since I came back into the team but I have been creating and getting into positions to score - I just haven't scored," he added. "I know the goals will come. I have had spells like this before where things haven't clicked. I just need to keep my confidence up and to have enough belief in myself that next time I get an opportunity I will put it away."