Celtic are currently back in training and preparing to return to action in the Scottish Premiership with a trip to face Dundee away from home on Sunday.
The Hoops beat Motherwell 3-2 at Parkhead before the international break, thanks to a last-gasp winner from Daizen Maeda, and will be hoping to follow that up with another victory.
However, Brendan Rodgers may have some injury issues to contend with ahead of selecting his starting line-up to chase the three points against Dundee.
The latest Celtic team news before Dundee
Starting with the positive news, Alistair Johnston has returned to first-team training this week for the first time since he suffered a hamstring injury in August.
He was initially ruled out until November, per the Daily Record, but the Canada international is now in line for an early return against Dundee on Sunday.
There was more positive news out of the camp earlier this week when Sebastian Tounekti played for Tunisia against Namibia, having missed his country’s first match through injury.
Whilst the Tunisian whiz, who scored his first goal for the club against Partick Thistle, may be available for selection, Celtic’s right-sided winger may not be.
Daizen Maeda had to withdraw from international duty with Japan due to a foot issue, not playing a single minute in either match, and his injury has left Rodgers concerned, per Football Insider, ahead of Sunday.
How Celtic could replace Daizen Maeda
Football FanCast recently suggested that unleashing 18-year-old winger Rhys Dargie could be one way for the Hoops to replace Maeda if he is unavailable for selection against Dundee, because the output from the manager’s other options has left a lot to be desired.
Daizen Maeda (first-team)
13
3 + 2
Michel-Ange Balikwisha (first-team)
6
0 + 2
Hyun-jun Yang (first-team)
8
1 + 0
James Forrest (first-team)
12
0 + 0
As you can see in the table above, Michel-Ange Balikwisha, Hyun-jun Yang, and James Forrest have struggled to deliver consistent quality in the final third.
If Rodgers does not want to bring in Dargie, as he has not featured in a matchday squad for the first team, he could solve his Maeda problem by unleashing Callum Osmand for the first time.
The summer signing from Fulham has made the bench for the senior side on two occasions, both against Kairat in the Champions League, which shows that he is in the manager’s thoughts.
Osmand is a centre-forward by trade, but he has played on the right wing before, per Transfermarkt, scoring two goals in one game. He was also hailed as “lightning quick” by Fulham expert Jack Kelly, which suggests that he has the mobility and speed to play out wide.
24/25
22
11
4
23/24
29
21
6
22/23
21
11
2
21/22
1
0
0
Total
73
43
12
The 19-year-old attacker’s form for Fulham at youth level, as shown in the table above, shows that he has the potential to deliver quality in the final third, particularly as a goalscorer, which is what the Hoops are lacking.
Maeda is Celtic’s top scoring winger, with three goals, which is why it would be a blow to lose him for any number of games through injury, but Osmand is a young talent who could ease that blow.
The Wales U17 international has scored two goals in three Challenge Cup games for Celtic, per Transfermarkt, which also shows that he has carried his goalscoring form over to Scotland.
This Sunday could be the perfect opportunity to provide him with a chance to impress on the right wing, even if it is not his preferred position, with a first-team debut for the Hoops, if Maeda is unavailable.
Osmand may be a more viable short-term option for Rodgers than Dargie, who does look like an exciting prospect, because of his first-team involvement earlier this season.
Whether it is Dargie or Osmand, who could both be intriguing options to call upon on the right wing, Celtic may have to do something different on the right flank if Maeda is out, due to how underwhelming their senior alternatives have been.