Good to have Daizen back, but will he start tomorrow? Yes we think he probably will. And Brendan Rodgers is set to have two further additions to his squad for the tricky Scottish Cup tie at St Mirren because both Oh and Yang have now concluded their involvement with South Korea in the Asian Cup after losing to Jordan 2-0 in the semi-final today, with Yang getting some game-time but Oh being an unused substitute.
Daizen Maeda is now back at Celtic and trained today following Japan’s exit at the Asian cup. The player was spotted going through his paces with the rest of the squad at training today, and it’s likely he’ll be contention for a place in the starting XI tomorrow night at Easter Road, perhaps replacing Luis Palma on the left hand side.
We’ve missed Daizen’s pace and industry on the park, but with him just arriving back from Qatar will it be more sensible to have him on the bench? Alternatively as Brendan Rodgers admitted today in his media conference, Daizen has returned in a better physical condition than when he left so there’s every chance that he’ll play.
Celtic FC v Athletic Club – Pre-Season Friendly Hyun-Jun Yang of Celtic FC in action during the pre-season friendly match between Celtic FC and Athletic Club at Celtic Park on August 1, 2023, Photo Ricardo Larreina
Daizen has been missed in his absence, and even his hardest critics will agree. He’s well and truly one of those players who you appreciate when he’s absent. But I would say a place on the bench would be more beneficial for both Daizen and the side after his recent escapades with Japan, not to mention the travel involved in his return.
Daizen still has a part to play in the coming weeks, but maybe tomorrow night a place in the bench is the best option. We could always bring him on if needed as his energy could be beneficial to us if needed.