Celtic continued their march towards a second straight Premiership title with a 3-1 win over Hearts. Robbie Neilson’s side gave them a bit of an early scare, by taking the lead in the 6th minute. The Hoops did not look anywhere near their best on the night either, but goals from Daizen Maeda, Kyogo Furuhashi and Sead Haksabanovic were enough to seal the all important three points.
Maeda got the equaliser for Celtic in the first half, getting on the end of a low cross from Kyogo. He would collide with Hearts goalkeeper, Zander Clark, in the process of scoring though.
Maeda had to be substituted off at around the half hour mark and that will be a worry for Celtic. The Japanese forward has established himself as a starter for the club this season and is a key player for them right now. Not only has he brought goals and assists to the table, but so much more with his energy, work rate and relentless pressing.
As reported by The Herald, Ange Postecoglou told BBC Sportsound about the condition of Maeda:
"“It’s a knock on the knee so we will just have to see.“Obviously it’s a short turnaround to Saturday and we will have to see how he is. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious.”"
Celtic boss delivers cautious Maeda injury news
Thus, the situation of Maeda is not clear right now and it remains to be seen when he will be back in action. Celtic fans can take some hope from the fact that Postecoglou did not completely rule out his chances.
One would be hoping that the issue is not serious and Maeda is back in contention soon, even if he ends up missing the game against Hearts. We will learn more about his condition over the next day or two.
Celtic have a lot of cover in that position even without Maeda though. Jota is expected to start at left-wing with Maeda out, while Haksabanovic can play there as well. That is some depth.