Brendan Rodgers: Big surprise to have Daizen Maeda available for Celtic play-off
The Japanese forward can face Bayern Munich on Wednesday
Brendan Rodgers admitted it was a "big surprise" to have the "extraordinary" Daizen Maeda available for Celtic's Champions League play-off against Bayern Munich on Wednesday night.
The Japan attacker was sent off in the 1-0 win over Young Boys last month and served the first game of his ban in the 4-2 loss away to Aston Villa.
It was thought Celtic's top scorer this season would also miss the visit of the German giants but his two-match suspension was reduced to one after an appeal, with the news emerging on Monday.
Maeda has scored six goals in his last three games - and 22 in total for club and country this season - and boss Rodgers was delighted to have him available for the first leg at Parkhead.
He said: "It's such a great bit of news that we got, obviously, last night, early evening. He's an extraordinary player.
"How he's been this year for us, not just in goals, but what his value gives to the team in terms of his pressing and his honesty to the game.
"So to have that mentality and that ability available was a big surprise for us, but a nice surprise.
"Like most footballers, they're good people. As a guy, he's super professional. He's in every day, does his work, does all the right things to prepare himself to be a top professional.
"He trains as he plays, so he's very intense and gives everything in his training and, obviously, he then takes that personality onto the field.
"So he's been an absolute joy to work with and just seeing him develop and grow over the course of the season.
"His ability, his finishing, but add to that, like I say, the work rate and intensity. He's a really, really pivotal player for us."
Rodgers noted that with Maeda expected to sit out against the Bundesliga leaders, he played his ever-willing attacker every minute of the three games which followed the trip to Villa Park.
He said: "I know, I ran the legs off him for three games. It was brilliant by the club, I've got to say, because he was always going to serve one game, but until you get the written report - which didn't come through until Thursday/Friday last week - you can't put in your appeal.
"But as soon as it did come in, obviously the club put in the appeal. Which, with the greatest respect to UEFA, we were thinking this probably wouldn't bear fruit.
"And then when I got the call to say he was able to play, I thought, 'goodness me, he's played the three full games'.
"He couldn't run any more as a striker, as a winger.
"But thankfully he's just a bundle of energy, so he'll be OK. I was a wee bit surprised when it came through.
"But it wasn't unsurprising because of getting two games. What was that word? Assault, aye. Assault was what was causing it (two-game ban). It wasn't an assault - that was in the report. So I think on that basis alone, the club were great. They appealed and thankfully we won."
Rodgers looked forward to pitting his wits against "football royalty" in Munich and was keen to ensure the visitors suffered some "hurt" on the trip to Celtic Park.
He said: "Bayern Munich are one of the giants of the European game. They really are football royalty in terms of what they've achieved over many, many years at this level.
"What is important for us is that we're very much alive in the tie going over to Germany. I think that would be the key message for us.
"But we want to go and perform. We're not frightened to lose. That's not what this is about.
"This is about performing and if we can perform well, like we've shown in this competition, especially at home, hopefully we can get what we deserve.
"I go back to the Young Boys' game here and I thought, when it could have got a little bit nervy in the last 15 minutes, the supporters were amazing.
"They sensed it and they really got behind the team and lifted the team. So that side is very important.
"It's great. It's where I wanted to take the club back to where we come here.
"It's not just a tick-box exercise for players to come and say they've played at Celtic Park.
"You want them to hurt in this arena as well and you want them to find the challenges of that combination between the supporters and the players on the pitch, making it a really, really, really difficult night."
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