Davie Provan says Celtic look “much stronger” than Rangers; duo noted as particular problem for Clement

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Former Celtic winger Davie Provan has highlighted Celtic’s squad depth with Liel Abada and Daizen Maeda in particular catching the Scotsman’s eye.

Provan, who played for Celtic for nine years from 1978 until 1987, spoke of Abada and Maeda, both currently out injured.

Abada’s injury appears to be more long-term than Maeda’s, with the Israeli international sustaining a thigh muscle injury in September while on international duty, ruling him out for around three to four months.

Maeda suffered an injury against Atletico Madrid on November 7th, following a challenge on Mario Hermoso, which has left the Celtic winger side-lined for around six weeks.

In their time at Celtic, Maeda and Abada have become two regular first-team starters, experiencing success at the club. Both players marked their debut in the green and white with goals, with Abada scoring against Midtjylland and Maeda finding the net against Hibernian in their respective first competitive games for the Hoops.

With no set date for either’s return, Celtic face the difficult task of managing the festive fixture schedule without two of their star players. However, Brendan Rodgers is hopeful that Maeda will be fit to face Rangers on December 30th at Celtic Park.

Abada and Maeda will undoubtedly be crucial to Celtic for the remainder of the season, having proven in their time at the club that they can step up when it matters most. However, the Bhoys have managed to negotiate results well in their absence, with Luis Palma and Hyunjun Yang deputising in recent weeks.

The 6-0 victory over Aberdeen just over a week ago serves as a clear indication that both young players are more than capable of contributing to success and are hungry to become first-team starters week in and week out.

Provan said: [The Sunday Post], “I’m not sure of Liel Abada’s recovery timetable. But he is really, really good. I like him so much. He is another who is so young and has lots of time on his side. But he still does it in big games. He has tormented Rangers a few times. When I look at the Celtic squad I see some players of high quality. I feel the squad is much stronger than what Rangers have.

“Daizen Maeda is also a real asset on the wings. He can be explosive on the ball at any given moment and must be a headache for full-backs. It’s unfortunate he is injured just now. He will be a sore miss for the team. I’m sure Brendan would love to have him back available for the game against Rangers on December 30. He plays well against Rangers. He scores and he creates.”

Celtic will look to integrate them back into the first-team picture as soon as they have fully recovered from injuries. Undoubtedly, they will both aim to make significant contributions in the second half of the season, having missed spells of the first half due to injury.

However, with the form of Luis Palma on the left-hand side, it appears that Maeda and Abada will be competing with Yang for the right-wing slot.

Maeda and Abada returns will give Rodgers a selection headache, but the Irishman will welcome this, and competition is always beneficial in helping the development of individuals at the Bhoys.