Opinion: Return of nine-goal talent has come at perfect time for Celtic

There was a bit of a surprise when the Celtic line-up to face St Mirren was announced on Wednesday night. On the bench for the Hoops for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury in December was Albian Ajeti.

The £4.5m signing from West Ham didn’t feature in the game, but it was a bit of a surprise to see the player back in the squad after being out for so long with such a serious injury.

Perhaps the reason he didn’t get to make an appearance is that it took Celtic until the last 10 minutes to clinch the game thanks to Callum McGregor, if the game had been won sooner then perhaps Ajeti would have made his return.

With Kyogo still out and Giorgos Giakoumakis not featuring in the last two games due to illness, the return of the striker, who has scored nine goals for the Hoops, has come at just the right time. 

The forward gives the team another option when it comes to scoring goals, which is what it is all about in a tight title race. Ajeti might not be the most prolific of goal scorers, but he could contribute with a key goal or two that might well win a vital three points for the Bhoys.

It will be intriguing to see if he features at some stage of the game against Livingston at the weekend. He probably won’t start in that fixture, but if the Hoops are needing a goal and the 25-year-old comes up with the winner, he would become a Celtic hero overnight.

It has to be said that Ajeti might not be at Celtic next season, as if all the forwards at the club are fit, he would likely be the fourth choice. But at the moment, he is one of the two strikers – along with Daizen Maeda – that are currently fit and available for selection.

Hopefully Giakoumakis returns against Livingston, but at it stands, Ajeti will be in the