Maeda's Injury Blow Rocks Celtic's Title Charge

In a devastating blow to Celtic’s Scottish Premiership title ambitions, manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that key winger Daizen Maeda has sustained a hamstring injury and could miss several crucial games in the season’s climactic run-in.

The Japanese forward, who has been a revelation since joining the Hoops in January, opened the scoring in last Sunday’s pulsating 3-3 Old Firm derby draw against bitter rivals Rangers. However, Maeda was forced off during the second half, and Rodgers revealed the extent of the damage in his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s home clash with St Mirren.

“He picked up an injury high up in his hamstring, his tendon,” the Celtic boss lamented. “We will have to see what that looks like in the coming weeks. But he is certainly not available for the weekend.”

Rodgers cautioned that Maeda’s availability for the remainder of the campaign remains uncertain, adding, “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.”

The 25-year-old’s absence is an untimely setback for the Scottish Premiership leaders, who are locked in a tense title race with Rangers. Celtic can move four points clear at the top with a victory over St Mirren, while their city rivals face challenging fixtures against Ross County and Dundee.

Maeda’s dynamic presence on the left flank has been a key component of Celtic’s attacking prowess this season, with the former Yokohama F. Marinos star contributing nine goals and six assists across all competitions. His ability to stretch defenses with his searing pace and direct running has provided a potent outlet, complementing the guile and creativity of teammates like Kyogo Furuhashi and Reo Hatate.

While Rodgers will undoubtedly be sweating over Maeda’s fitness, he can take solace in the timely return of captain Callum McGregor from an Achilles injury. The influential midfielder made his comeback in the Old Firm showdown, and Rodgers expressed cautious optimism about his progress.

“He has come through well,” the Northern Irishman revealed. “We are still clearly managing him. He did absolutely incredible to be available for the game. The timeline was beyond Rangers but he worked so hard, he wanted to put himself out there.”

Rodgers acknowledged that McGregor, who had been sidelined for over a month, is not yet operating at full capacity, stating, “He had only trained a few days coming into the game, so this week has been another good week for him. We just have to manage it, he is not out the woods at all.”

As Celtic enter the decisive phase of their championship pursuit, the fitness of key personnel like Maeda and McGregor could prove pivotal. Rodgers will be hoping for a swift recovery for the former and a seamless reintegration for the latter as the Hoops aim to wrestle back the Scottish Premiership crown from their bitter rivals.