Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that winger Daizen Maeda’s season is all but over after he picked up a tendon injury in his hamstring.
It was revealed a few days ago that the mercurial Japanese frontman was going to miss this weekend’s 3-0 win over St. Mirren but after the game, manager Brendan Rodgers provided an update that won’t encourage many.
He said: [Football Scotland] “Unfortunately, I’m not sure we’ll see Daizen again this season, I don’t expect him to feature too much. It’s such a small window for him now.”
How key Maeda is to the way Celtic play was no more evident than at Ibrox last Sunday when he opened the scoring within 21 seconds.
The pressure he put on James Tavernier throughout the match helped to nullify what would usually be a significant threat.
In the post-split derby, his absence could prove key and already, Maeda not being in the team was noticeable.
Yang wasn’t the most effective in yesterday’s game, being brought off with just under 20 minutes to go.
The South Korean remains a work in progress and although Luis Palma is returning to fitness, Maeda will be a bitter miss between now and the end of the season.
