Celtic moved three points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership table on Wednesday night with a dramatic win against Hibernian at Easter Road.
A stoppage-time penalty from Adam Idah secured all three points for the Hoops and they now turn their attention to the SFA Cup as they prepare to travel to St Mirren on Sunday.
The Glasgow giants were knocked out of the League Cup, which was eventually won by Rangers, in August 2023 and this means that this competition is their last opportunity to seal a domestic double.
A loss in this tournament would leave the Premiership title as the last available trophy for Celtic for the rest of the season, which is why this clash with St Mirren is an important game.
Brendan Rodgers should select a very strong XI to take to the field to ensure that the Hoops make it through to the next round of the competition.
With this in mind, the Northern Irish head coach must ditch Daizen Maeda from the line-up that started against Hibs and unleash Luis Palma in his place, as the winger could supercharge deadline day signing Idah in the final third.
Daizen Maeda's struggles this season
The Japan international made a return to the starting XI on Wednesday, having been away with his country in January, but failed to make an impact, which has been a regular occurrence for him this season.
Maeda has struggled to deliver consistent quality at the top end of the pitch from a wide position and has not proven himself to be a reliable performer in front of goal.
Minutes played
72
Dribble success rate
0%
Key passes
Zero
Shots
Zero
Duel success rate
20%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old left a lot to be desired with his display during the week as he did not provide any key passes or shots at goal, whilst also being a lightweight out of possession as Hibs defenders found it far too easy to get the better of him.
Maeda has made 18 appearances and started 16 times in the Premiership so far this season and chipped in with three goals and two assists for the side, less than one goal contribution every three matches on average.
The Japanese forward has assisted a goal once every nine games on average and has produced 0.5 key passes per outing, which places him 23rd within the Celtic squad – below the likes of Tomoki Iwata, James Forrest, and Hyun-jun Yang.
These statistics show that the Hoops number 38 does not provide consistent quality in the final third as either a scorer or a creator of goals for his team, which is why his position in the starting XI should not be a foregone conclusion.
Why Luis Palma should start for Celtic
Rodgers must, therefore, unleash Palma from the start ahead of him as the Honduras international has the quality to provide far more for the side.
Signed from Greek side Aris last summer, the 24-year-old magician has hit the ground running in Scottish football with his ability to score and create goals.
Whilst he has not fully convinced every supporter at Parkhead, there is no doubt that the talented winger has the ability to cut open the opposition to create chances for his teammates at an impressive rate.
Assists
Nine
1st
Key passes per game
3.2
1st
Big chances created
12
1st
Sofascore rating
7.80
2nd
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Palma, who was hailed as "tremendous" by Chris Sutton earlier this term, has been Celtic's outstanding creative threat at the top end of the pitch in the Premiership this season.
He has created five more 'big chances' and registered two more assists than any of his teammates, which speaks to his defence-splitting quality on the ball.
The 5 foot 10 wizard, who has also scored five goals for the Scottish giants, has only racked up nine assists from his 12 'big chances' created and could be frustrated that his fellow attackers have not made the most of his creativity in the final third.
This is where Idah could come in as Palma's sensational level of chance creation could supercharge the Ireland international, who has already had a stunning start to his career at Parkhead.
Adam Idah's goalscoring potential
The 22-year-old marksman joined on loan from English Championship side Norwich City on deadline day, with no option to make it permanent in the summer, and has already made his mark on Scottish football.
Idah came off the bench to make his debut against Aberdeen last weekend and made an instant impact with an assist for Nicolas Kuhn's equaliser in just 31 minutes on the pitch.
The Irish dynamo was rewarded with a first Celtic start against Hibs on Wednesday night, and he kept his composure from the spot twice to score both of the goals in the 2-1 win.
This means that the Canaries loanee has already produced two goals and one assist in two appearances for the Hoops, and he will be hoping to add to his tally against St Mirren on Sunday.
Having a player with Palma's creative quality out wide could supercharge his output in front of goal as the striker has already showcased his finishing quality during his time in England.
Idah scored six goals from an xG of 5.83, and only missed four 'big chances', in 12 Championship starts for Norwich during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign.
These statistics suggest that the Yellows academy graduate is lethal in front of goal and rarely passes up an opportunity to stick the ball in the back of the net.
Now, imagine what he could do with the service that Palma has provided his teammates with throughout the season. The Honduras international could produce plenty of 'big chances' for Idah to add to his Celtic goal tally before the end of his loan spell in Scotland.
Whereas, Maeda's aforementioned struggles out wide suggest that the Japan international is unlikely to assist the Irish finisher very often for the Hoops.
This is why Palma should be unleashed alongside Idah in the attack by Rodgers against St Mirren ahead of the Japanese forward on Sunday.
