Ueda 'devastated' not to face Celtic for 'glittering' Feyenoord
Feyenoord striker Ayase Ueda is "devastated" not to be able to face his Japan team-mates in their Champions League group opener against Celtic, Dutch journalist Marcel van der Kraan has told BBC Scotland.
The 25-year-old competes with Celtic's Kyogo Furuhashi and Daizen Maeda for a starting place with their national side but was injured in their impressive 4-1 win over Germany.
Van der Kraan says Ueda had been relishing the prospect of proving which club was biggest following boasts from Celtic's Japanese contingent.
He points out that the summer arrival from Cercle Brugge was only second choice for head coach Arne Slot, who was linked with Tottenham Hotspur before they took Ange Postecoglou from Celtic.
"The first is Santiago Gimenez, the Mexican boy who won the Gold Cup for them this summer and who was an absolute giant last season," he said. "He got sent off in the quarter-final against Roma last season and is suspended for two games."
Van der Kraan thinks those two absences will force Slot to "change his style" despite his side scoring 17 goals in their last three games after what the team boss described as "absolutely glittering form".
"Especially in the first two games of the season, Feyenoord did struggle," the journalist added. "They played very attacking, but they had to put 11 new players in their squad and that usually takes a little while.
"But Arne Slot did it last year. They were champions with 11 new players and they have sold lots of players again and I can see why Premier League club have looked at this Feyenoord manager because, just as Celtic did last year, he has played extremely attacking and I think they will be no different in Champions League on Tuesday. Feyenoord will be full-blast attack."