Alistair Johnston could be on his way back for Celtic after the international break, with the defender now looking set to take part in training with Canada over the break.
While he has not played at all this year, Johnston has been back on the grass at Lennoxtown over the past two weeks and appears to be moving in the right direction.
His call-up to the national squad by Jesse Marsch raised a few eyebrows, but the Canada manager made it clear that Alistair was keen to join up with the squad and wanted to remain involved ahead of the World Cup.
Speaking about both Alistair and Moïse Bombito, Marsch told the Canadian Press News : “These two guys, I think, really wanted to be here.
“We felt they’re really important and we’ve been missing them. It’s good to have them.”
Alistair is not expected to feature in any of Canada’s games and will return to Celtic afterwards to continue his recovery. Celtic have seven games left in the SPFL and find themselves five points behind Hearts and two behind Rangers.
With Julian Araujo having returned to Bournemouth for treatment on an injury nobody at Celtic is really commenting on, Johnston could still have a big say in the title race if he can get back to full fitness.
The Mexican defender hasn’t played since the penalty win at Ibrox and nobody has been forthcoming as to when he could be available next.
The Hoops also have a Scottish Cup semi-final to look forward to, and if Alistair stays on this trajectory, who knows, he could even start against St Mirren next month.
Celtic have had no shortage of problems this season, especially with injuries. They are still without Jota, who picked up an injury around a year ago. Cameron Carter-Vickers was lost midway through the campaign, and players like Arne Engels have also missed important matches.
Having Engels back after the international break will be a boost, but the possible return of AJ could be just as significant for Martin O’Neill and Shaun Maloney.
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