Brendan Rodgers has delivered some good injury news to Celtic supporters on his pre-match media duties this afternoon.
The Bhoys have been cursed by injuries throughout the 2023/24 campaign with stars such as Cameron Carter-Vickers, Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate all enduring long spells on the sidelines.
The latest was suffered by winger Daizen Maeda earlier this month and the initial fear was that he’d miss the rest of the season with a hamstring issue.
The attacker has become a key part of the way Celtic function as a team. Supporters want to see him back in action as quickly as possible.
Reports surfaced this week that the Japanese international could be in line for an earlier-than-expected return.
Brendan Rodgers confirms Daizen Maeda Celtic status
The Celtic manager has now confirmed those reports and has stated he could feature in the squad soon, albeit not this weekend at Dens Park against Dundee.
He told Sky Sports: “Initially we were thinking that it might have been his season over. He’s been out on the pitch. He won’t be ready for this weekend but we have a feeling we’ll see him at some point before the end of the season which is great news for us.
“He’ll finish off the beginning of next week doing his rehabilitation out on the grass with the medical team. We’ll assess it from there.
“It will be a massive boost for us because he hasn’t missed that much. Fitness wise he won’t have lost a great deal. Someone like him provides us with a great intensity in the game and that inspires others.”
While Hyunjun Yang, James Forrest or Luis Palma will fill in for now, Maeda is gearing up to be available for the final five Celtic matches of the season, which is a big boost for the Bhoys.
Maeda needed for derby double
The 26-year-old not only knows how to sniff out the scruffy goals in the box, but his presence is key tactically.
His energy and running, as well as the timing of his press, allows Celtic to be more aggressive when the opposition have the ball.
That creates a bit of chaos and uncertainty that the Bhoys can thrive on, turnover the ball and construct attacks of their own when defences are on the back foot.
This could be especially important in the two remaining games against Rangers in the league and Scottish Cup.
Unsettling James Tavernier and giving the Ibrox side’s backline something to think about in possession undoubtedly helps Celtic take control of matches such as those. It’ll be fantastic to have him back.