Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that winger Daizen Maeda is back in contention for Saturday evening’s Scottish Cup clash against Kilmarnock at Celtic Park.

15th December 2024; Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland; Premier Sports Cup Football Final, Celtic versus Rangers; Daizen Maeda of Celtic jumps into Kasper Schmeichel of Celtic arms to celebrate the winning penalty

The Japanese international had missed the Hoops’ last two matches against Ross County and Dundee due to injury, but he has now returned to full fitness.

Having a great season so far in green and white, his return was all but confirmed when he was spotted in training alongside his Celtic teammates earlier on Friday.

Speaking to the media ahead of the tie, Rodgers provided an encouraging update on Maeda’s recovery and his readiness to contribute to the team.

“He’s fully ready to go if we need him,” Rodgers said on Celtic TV. “I think for him, it probably felt more like a little circuit breaker as opposed to a long injury. It was just something that hasn’t been out for so long.”

The Celtic boss noted that Maeda has looked sharp in training throughout the week, adding: “Just watching him in training this week, he’s looked good. He’s ready and available to start if we need that.”

Maeda’s absence, alongside Kuhn has had Rodgers experimenting with Kyogo Furuhashi in a free-roaming role alongside Adam Idah.

Maeda’s return will provide much-needed pace, energy, and versatility to Celtic’s attack as they aim to defend their Scottish Cup title.

The Scottish champions head into the match as firm favourites on Saturday, with a chance to move one step closer to silverware in the cup competition. Following a frustrating 3-3 draw with Dundee earlier in the week, Rodgers will be eager for his side to respond positively against Derek McInnes’ men.

With Maeda “ready and available to start,” Celtic fans will hope to see the winger hit the ground running and help the team secure a convincing result under the lights at Paradise.

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