Celtic wait on Daizen Maeda fitness before crucial Old Firm derby
Celtic are waiting to discover the extent of an injury to Daizen Maeda after the forward limped off during their 2-1 Scottish Premiership victory over Hibernian.
The Japan international opened the scoring at Easter Road before suffering an innocuous knock in stoppage time.
He was seen limping without a boot following the final whistle, raising concerns ahead of Sunday’s crucial Old Firm derby.
Manager Martin O’Neill says he desperately hopes the attacker will be available for the pivotal clash against Rangers.
Crucial timing for in-form attacker
Maeda has recently rediscovered his best form during a definitive stage of the season.
The forward had only scored once in 2026 prior to last month, but has now contributed six goal involvements in his past three appearances.
O’Neill has preferred the rapid attacker as a central striker in recent weeks to help mitigate broader offensive struggles.
Former Hoops winger Aiden McGeady stressed that losing the forward would be a significant blow to the defending champions.
“He’s been the most important player over the last three games,” McGeady said.
“I hope he’s fit for the final games because the impact he can make for this team when he is firing is invaluable.”
Attacking concerns persist
Despite securing three points against a Hibs side reduced to 10 men for over 70 minutes, Celtic once again looked short of quality in the final third.
The Glasgow club have scored just 64 goals in 35 league games this season, representing a sharp decline from the 103 goals they had registered at the same stage last year.
This drop in attacking output leaves them with a worse goal difference than both Rangers and Hearts, which could prove decisive in a tight title race.
Former Scotland international James McFadden highlighted the team’s lack of penetration during the narrow victory.
“They’re lacking in front of goal because of their quality in the final third,” McFadden observed post-match.
“You can’t say they didn’t play well in the first half, but it’s a lot of the same patterns with no penetration.”
Celtic currently sit neck-and-neck with Rangers at the top of the table, making this weekend’s derby a potential title-decider.