Daizen Maeda puts Celtic on fitness alert as Japan serve up 'different menu' in training

Daizen Maeda has been put on a unique Japanese training programme ahead of the Asian Cup, after his Celtic comeback from injury.

The forward injured his knee against Atletico Madrid and missed more than a month prior to his comeback before the winter break. He will now be missing for another period of time due to involvement at the Asian Cup with his country but how many minutes he gets could be altered by how he comes through a specific training plan Japan have put in place.

Ahead of their tournament opener against Vietnam on January 14 in Qatar, the Land of the Rising Sun stars had an open training session. And Soccer King claim that while Maeda has not suffered another injury, alongside Yuta Nakayama, "they have been changed to different menus as a way to adjust their conditions for the match." Arsenal defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is another who's had his plan tailored.

Celtic will no doubt be keeping tabs on Maeda's fitness programmes throughout his time in Qatar. Brendan Rodgers said in the aftermath of his return to the starting XI against Livingston: "The game that you want to play, football always looks different if you have got players with the profile and speed, and that's how this team has been built.

"The minute you take that out, that penetration to go in behind, then of course everything can be in front and that's not how my teams work. You can see the threat he can offer in behind. It puts people on the back foot and puts you into depth, which is where you want to go, because you want to create opportunities. He gives us that and it's great to have him back."