Celtic suffer major Daizen Maeda injury setback as key defender also ruled out

Japan international could miss rest of the season

Celtic winger Daizen Maeda faces an anxious wait to discover whether he will play again this season after suffering a hamstring injury in training.

The Japan international will miss Saturday’s cinch Premiership encounter with St Mirren while Celtic’s medical team assess the extent of the problem.

Maeda is a key player for Celtic and with just six matches of the campaign remaining, any long-term diagnosis would be a significant blow to the club’s title hopes.

Celtic's Daizen Maeda in action during the 3-3 draw with Rangers at Ibrox last Sunday. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

The 26-year-old scored his ninth goal of the season in the 3-3 draw against Rangers at Ibrox last week, netting the opener after just 21 seconds, as Celtic held onto their one point advantage over Rangers at the top of the table.

Manager Brendan Rodgers said: “Daizen will miss the weekend. He picked up an injury high in his hamstring, his tendon, so we will have to see what that looks like in the coming weeks. But he is certainly not available for the weekend.

“We will see where it goes in the next week or so and then we will understand better what inclusion he will have between now and the end of the season.”

With Luis Palma fully fit after a calf problem and Nicolas Kuhn settling in, Rodgers played down the potential loss of Maeda.

“He has done fantastic for us and was very, very good last weekend,” he said. “But if it is to be, and he is out, there will be an opportunity there for someone else to come into the game. What he brings, the intensity and pressing, of course that’s big for us. But it’s an opportunity for other players to step up and bring that level of intensity and bring their individual brilliance to the game.

“It’s not something you can dwell on too much. We have had a lot of key players out this year but you still have to continue, and I’m liking what I see of the team just now, the focus and energy, the quality we are showing.”

Rodgers also confirmed that defender Liam Scales, a virtual ever present this season, will miss the weekend fixture against the Buddies.

"Liam has picked up a slight strain in his abductor so the likelihood is that he won’t be involved,” the Celtic boss added.