DAIZEN MAEDA will miss Celtic’s Premiership encounter against Dundee at Dens Park on Sunday with a hamstring problem.
Alistair Johnston is hoping to get the green light to come back after missing nine games through injury while Portuguese playmaker Paulo Bernardo is a doubt for the game on Tayside.
Brendan Rodgers gave an update on the health of his squad as he prepared the champions for a return to action after the international break.
BREAKING NEWS…Brendan Rodgers gives the up-to-date info to the media. Image courtesy Celtic TV.
Maeda was the stoppage-time hero with a flying header for the winner against Motherwell at Parkhead in the previous game, but there is no chance of an appearance in the midday kick-off against Steven Pressley’s strugglers.
Breaking the news, Rodgers said: “Daizen will be out. He felt his hamstring a little bit towards the end of the last game.
“He went away with Japan, just to see if it would get better, but obviously he didn’t play.
“He will miss this weekend and we will assess it after that.”
Maeda, scorer of 33 goals last season, has struggled to maintain that blistering striking form this term.
His header against the Fir Park club was only his third strike this time around, with the others coming in the 4-1 Premier Sports League Cup win over Falkirk and the 2-1 success over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park.
OUT WITH A SHOUT…Daizen Maeda will miss the Dundee game at Dens Park.
He could be joined on the sidelines at Dens with Bernardo and Rodgers, speaking to The Herald, continued: “Paulo has been ill, so we will see how he recovers in the next 24 hours.
“Apart from that we are okay.”
Canadian international right-back Johnston has been missing since being stretchered off with a hamstring injury in the opening 45 minutes of the first leg of the goalless Champions League qualifier against Kairat Almaty in the east end of Glasgow.
The Hoops gaffer added: “Ali is back in training, which is great news for us.
“We will finalise the squad tomorrow and, hopefully, he is good to go.”
