Fears over Daizen Maeda’s fitness have been eased after the forward was in training on Friday ahead of Celtic’s league clash with Livingston on Saturday.
Maeda cut a frustrated figure during Wednesday night’s dire 0-0 draw with Kairat Almaty in the Champions League qualifiers, with some supporters thought he may have picked up a knock towards the end of the match.
He looked like he was holding his hamstring as the clock ticked down.
Celtic looked like they were sleepwalking into trouble, lacking urgency, creativity, and cohesion against a well-drilled Kazakh outfit. And with the return leg looming, the last thing the Hoops needed was injury concerns over one of their few senior forwards.
However, Maeda was back on the training pitch at Lennoxtown on Friday, a reassuring sight for fans and the coaching staff alike. His availability will be a boost as Celtic look to get back to winning ways domestically and build some momentum ahead of Tuesday’s crucial second leg.
SNS cameras picked up the forward in training on Friday.
With Adam Idah under pressure and no natural replacement signed since Kyogo’s departure, Maeda’s fitness is vital, especially if Rodgers decides to push him into the central role again, as he did in the second half against Kairat. The performance may have been horrendous, but at least the injury fears are now off the table.
