Celtic forward Daizen Maeda has suffered an injury setback while on international duty with Japan ahead of their World Cup qualifiers.
The 27-year-old, who scored in Sunday’s Glasgow Derby, is being assessed by the Japanese FA after picking up a bruised leg.
The Japan FA released a statement, confirming that Maeda did not train with the main group and was instead following an individual programme.
“Daizen Maeda did not train with the main group after suffering from a bruised leg and undertook his own individual programme. He will be assessed before the game.” [The National]
Maeda has been in sensational form this season, with his goal against Rangers marking his 29th goal of the campaign for club and country.
Given his importance to both Celtic and Japan, his fitness will be closely monitored, with the Japanese medical team set to determine whether he can feature in their upcoming matches.
With key fixtures coming up, Celtic will be hoping Maeda’s injury is nothing serious, especially with a crucial run-in towards securing their fourth consecutive league title and the Scottish Cup.
The Japanese forward’s relentless work rate and goal-scoring form have made him one of Celtic’s standout players this season, and Brendan Rodgers will want him fully fit for the remainder of the campaign.
For now, both Japan and Celtic await further updates on his condition but it doesn’t sound too serious.
