daizen maeda is fit to play for Celtic against Rangers on Sunday after picking up a knock last weekend. Martin O'Neill said he is available, and that lifts Celtic going into an Old Firm derby with three games left in the Scottish Premiership race.
Daizen Maeda and Celtic
O'Neill was clear on Maeda’s status. “He's fine, which is really, really good,” he said, adding: “He has trained and he has got no reaction. He's had a super couple of weeks.”
That matters because Maeda has scored four goals in his past three matches, and Celtic have been leaning on that run while trying to close a three-point gap to leaders Hearts. Celtic also have a superior goal difference, so every attacking option takes on added weight in the closing stretch.
Martin O'Neill at Celtic Park
Sunday’s derby will also be O'Neill’s first at Celtic Park in 21 years, with the manager saying it is most likely his final Old Firm match. He has gone unbeaten in three meetings with Rangers this season, winning twice in cup competitions after extra time and drawing at Ibrox in the league.
His record from 2000-05 still stands out: 16 derby wins, three draws and eight losses. Celtic now take a four-match league winning run into a game that carries more pressure than the January meeting Rangers won at Celtic Park when Wilfried Nancy was in charge.
Hearts, Rangers, and the race
Celtic sit three points behind Hearts with three games remaining, while Rangers are seven points off the summit. Rangers have lost their past two matches, which leaves the derby as a direct check on Celtic’s title push rather than just another rivalry game.
Maeda’s availability gives Celtic a needed edge in a match where one good run can change the table quickly. For a side still chasing from behind, having a forward who finished last Sunday’s 2-1 win away to Hibernian before limping off holding his boot is a far better position than waiting on another injury scare.
