Daizen Maeda READY for Celtic title run in as Brendan Rodgers pencils in return date for injury comeback

Daizen Maeda is ready to hand Celtic a timely boost for the season run-in, albeit he's unlikely to feature this weekend.

It had been feared that Maeda would miss the remainder of the season after he suffered a hamstring injury before the Hoops faced St Mirren. The forward also sat out the Scottish Cup semi-final thriller against Aberdeen last Saturday. But now he's set to be back in action for the final four matches of the Premiership season and the Scottish Cup Final showdown with Rangers on May 25.

Brendan Rodgers has confirmed that Maeda has been back training with the squad. And while Sunday's clash with Dundee will come too soon for him to be risked, the home encounter with Hearts the following weekend should see him back in the squad. He'll boost Rodgers' attacking options for that game, as well as the crunch Old Firm battle on May 11, which could prove decisive in the title race.

Rodgers said: "The information we were given was that he was probably going to be out for the remainder of the season. But he has responded so well and after having scans and ultra scans, he is back out on the pitch, you'd think he had never been away.

"I was speaking to Tim (Williamson) the head of our medical team this morning and he said that in his time here, he (Maeda) never fails to amaze him in terms of his recovery and his overall physicality.

"We are getting nothing from the tendon injury that he felt after the game (against Rangers) which is great news, but there are still a few more steps to go through."

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