Now that they are back playing at home, Celtic will try to win three points and increase their lead at the top of the table by going to Easter Road.
As a Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers has never triumphed at the Leith Ground; tonight, he will look to remove that curse.
Before the game, the Celtic manager gave encouragement to the supporters by talking about the health of the team’s “electric” winger, Daizen Maeda.
The 26-year-old has been representing Japan on the international scene in the Asia Cup, so after more than a month away, Celtic supporters undoubtedly worried that he might not be well enough to play tonight.
However, Rodgers’ astute update on the winger has allayed any worries.
“Injury wise, nobody is back from injury but in terms of Daizen Maeda back, which is great news, he’s fit and healthy,” remarked Rodgers [Celtic YouTube].
The importance of Daizen Maeda to Celtic
From the time of his January 2022 arrival, Celtic has been extremely fortunate to have signed the Japanese winger. Yokohama F Marinos’ £1.5 million acquisition has been a pillar of the starting lineup.
Maeda has made 93 appearances, scoring 22 goals and assisting 15 others. In seven games versus Hibs, he has contributed to the victory four times and found the back of the net three times. [Transfermarkt]
ADDITIONAL CELTIC STORIES
In fact, on January 17, 2022, during the 2-0 victory at Parkhead against the capital club, he scored his first goal for Celtic.
The Celtic supporters are hoping that Maeda, a Japanese winger, would play tonight because he seems to have a propensity for wearing down Hibs.
Celtic is under pressure to win tonight, particularly in light of Rangers’ thrilling 2-1 victory over Aberdeen the previous evening. Every victory matters in the race for the championship with 14 games remaining, as Rodgers hopes to have another shot at the Champions League the following year.
In other news, Ronny Deila, a 25-year-old who has been dubbed “incredible,” could help Celtic resolve their left-back problem.
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