Daizen Maeda: ‘Struggling’ Celtic star to be axed and 27-year-old recalled – pundit
Alan Hutton has suggested Giorgos Giakoumakis will come in to replace Daizen Maeda as Celtic face St Mirren.
The former Scotland defender, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, claimed the 24-year-old Japanese striker, who joined in January, is “struggling” at Parkhead.
Giakoumakis missed out through illness as Celtic were held 0-0 by Hibernian on Sunday (27 February).
The Greek striker, 27, scored a hattrick in his last Scottish Premiership outing against Dundee, while Maeda is goalless in league action since 6 February.
As quoted by Sky Sports (1 March), manager Ange Postecoglou claimed Giakoumakis is still “50-50” ahead of tonight’s game against St Mirren (2 March), with the Australian confirming he will make the final call this morning.
Hutton claimed the former VVV-Venlo man will be “desperate to kick on in a Celtic shirt”.
“Giakoumakis is in a really rich vein of form at the moment,” he told Football Insider‘s Ewan Kingsbury.
“He scored a really good hattrick in his last league game. If he wasn’t ill, he would’ve been leading the line against Hibs – there’s no doubt.
“His confidence will have been through the roof after that, and I expect him to come in for the St Mirren game.
“I think it’s been really difficult for Maeda – he’s come in off the back of a difficult, long season in the J-League and it just looks like he’s struggling a touch with that.
“He’s going to need a rest. Giakoumakis will be desperate to try and really kick on in a Celtic shirt and continue that form.”
The Hoops lead Rangers by just three points atop the Scottish Premiership.
Maeda has scored four goals in 10 games since joining in January, while Giakoumakis has netted seven goals in 19 games.
In other news, ex-Fifa official demands significant change as Postecoglou fumes over controversy.