Celtic winger James Forrest should be given the nod ahead of Daizen Maeda for the game against Hibernian, according to journalist Marc Guidi.

Maeda has been heavily criticised for his lack of quality in the final third but manager Ange Postecoglou has stuck with him up until now. However, Guidi says he saw enough of Forrest after he came as a substitute against Leipzig, to convince him that he “deserves” a start on Saturday:

“I liked wee Forrest, I have to say. Okay, he’s not got an assist, he’s not scored a goal, but I liked seeing him again, because we don’t him see him that often and I thought there was a freshness about his play, a real enthusiasm, and I hope he starts at the weekend. I think he deserves it. Right now, I’d rather Forrest than Maeda for a starting point for sure, I’d have Forrest over Maeda.”

Forrest has only made one start in all competitions this season, and that came in the League Cup against Ross County back in August. He did impress in that match by getting on the scoresheet but he has rarely been used in important games, with just three substitute appearances in the league.

With Postecoglou defending Maeda after the Leipzig loss, you would expect the Australian to keep faith with the player, but we shall see if Forrest is given the chance to start ahead of the Japanese international this weekend.