Alistair Johnston Provides Return Timeline

Alistair Johnston has spoken about his latest injury setback while away with Canada, after being involved in training.

The Celtic right-back travelled with the squad but did not feature, with the same hamstring issue flaring up again at a point where he had been closing in on a return.

It’s another delay in a season that has been broken up by injuries. Johnston has barely had a run of games, and that has forced changes at right-back during a period where consistency has been hard to find.

From a Celtic point of view, the timing is not ideal. The run-in is already underway, and games now don’t allow for players to ease their way back in. Every match carries weight, and full-backs are expected to cover ground, press high, and recover quickly.

Johnston said: (On Guard), “Look, it’s sport. Injuries do happen. I think we’ve been really unlucky this year.

“If you look at the silver lining, there’s a chance we’re all back and potentially fresh [for the World Cup].

“Jonathan David is the only one who might be indestructible. But you look at Alphonso Davies, myself, Stephen Eustaquio, Derek Cornelius, he’s played quite a bit, and Moïse Bombito, he’s played a ton.

“These guys are massive players for us, and they help.

“A home World Cup doesn’t come around very often at all. It’s a bucket list. It’s a dream.

“When you’re so close to realising it, you just want to make sure that you’re doing everything physically possible to make sure that you’re on that team.

“At the end of the day, you want to be going to a World Cup with the strongest team possible. We know that if we’re fully fit, we’re a really good team.

“I know that everyone is doing everything in their power to be fit for this World Cup.”

The focus in his comments leans heavily towards Canada. With a home World Cup coming up, the aim is clear: be fit and ready for that stage.

That won’t go down well with everyone back in Glasgow. Celtic are in the middle of a run where every game demands intensity from the full-backs, both going forward and tracking back.

The issue is he picked up the setback while away with Canada, even if he was only training. That leaves him short of match fitness at a point where there’s no time to build it up slowly.

Getting him back on the pitch is the next hurdle. Until then, Celtic are left waiting while the season moves on.