Celtic blow as Maeda suffers hamstring injury amid title run-in

The Japan attacker, who has been a vital member of the Hoops for the past two years, scored only 21 seconds in

Sunday’s 3-3 draw with Rangers at Ibrox.

Brendan Rodgers said that after he is evaluated, they will find out the full extent of the injury over the course of the

following week. Until then, he will be sidelined for this weekend’s match against St Mirren.

Liam Scales is also questionable for Saturday’s match as Celtic attempts to lead the Premiership by four points.

Since being hired by Ange Postecoglou just over two years ago, Maeda has led a three-pronged assault and helped

them win four titles, including a treble the previous season.

Even though second-place Rangers still have a game in hand, the champions lead the league by one point heading

into their final six games.

Following their split, the top two will square off once more at Celtic Park in a match that increasingly seems likely to

determine where the league trophy ends up.

“Daizen will miss the weekend,” Rodgers stated in a Friday media statement. We will have to wait and see what

happens to the tendon in his hamstring, which is where he sustained the damage. He isn’t available for the weekend,

though.

“In the coming week or two, we’ll monitor its progress and have a better understanding of his level of inclusion from

now until the end of the season.

“Liam Scales is unlikely to participate as he has developed a minor strain in his abductor.”

With Nicolas Kuhn settling in and Luis Palma fully recovered from a calf injury, Rodgers downplayed the possibility

of losing Maeda.

He declared, “He was very, very good last weekend and has done fantastic for us.” “However, if that turns out to be

the case, he will have given someone else an opportunity to enter the game.

Of course, what he brings—the pressure and intensity—is significant to us. However, it’s a chance for other players to

stand up and provide that degree of intensity as well as their own talents to the game.

You shouldn’t think about it too much. I like what I see of the team right now—the focus, the enthusiasm, the quality

we are displaying—despite the fact that we have lost a number of important players this year.

In the 3-3 draw against Rangers last Saturday, Callum McGregor made a comeback off the bench, but Aaron Rodgers

cautioned that his captain’s Achilles problem will still need to be closely watched.

“He has come through well. We are still clearly managing him,” the manager stated.

“He worked so hard to be available for the game. It was a timeline without Rangers. However, he wanted to make a

name for himself because he worked so hard.

“This week has been another great week for him; prior to the game, he had only trained for a few days. He’s not really

out of the woods; we just need to figure it out.

However, he appeared pretty excellent when I saw him in training earlier. However, it also acknowledges that he had

been absent for a considerable amount of time. Nobody is going to be at their peak football fitness level if they have

missed more than five weeks of training.

Rodgers, meanwhile, voiced optimism that Mikey Johnston may return to his West Brom form when his loan spell at

the Baggies ends.

With four goals in five games in March, the 24-year-old winger won the English Championship Player of the Month

title.

“What he has shown is not surprising,” Rodgers remarked. “He is among the best players to graduate from this

academy; he is direct, quick, and capable of scoring goals.”

Given that the Championship includes numerous exceptional players, it is evident how effectively he has performed

that he received the award.

“Hopefully he can maintain that and return to Celtic in the summer with a renewed sense of energy, confidence, and

readiness to make an impact.”