Brendan Rodgers issued an injury update on Alistair Johnston following Celtic’s comprehensive 4-0 victory over Motherwell yesterday afternoon…
The Canadian right-back has been nursing a hip injury since Dinamo Zagreb with 26 year-old being unavailable as a result for Celtic’s last two Premiership matches against Dundee United and Motherwell.
Johnston was substituted off late in the second half in the Hoops’ dramatic Premier Sports League Cup final triumph over theRangers and has not been seen since.
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Alistair Johnston back for Ibrox
Anthony Ralston has filled the void at right-back impeccably with the Scotland internationalist playing an important role in back-to-back clean sheets in the league despite Johnston’s absence.
However, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers reckons Johnston will at least return to the Hoops squad for Sunday’s league clash at Celtic Park against St Johnstone before the Scottish champions gear up for a crucial visit to Ibrox next Thursday.
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Speaking post-match Rodgers explained: “He should hopefully be ok. He was close for today, but we left it. Tony came in and did a great job for us. Alistair has been improving each day, and we just want him to do more work and be okay for the weekend.”
Ralston set to face St Johnstone
Ralston may have to go again in two days’ time versus Simo Valakari’s struggling Saints who are rooted at the bottom of the table, but Johnston’s return for the upcoming Glasgow Derby encounter is a welcome boost for Celtic.
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Subsequently, a victory for Rodgers’ men may well put Celtic 15 points ahead of their bitter rivals in the league all but sealing four-in-a-row at the start of a new calendar year — however, to use a footballing cliche, onwards to the next game, and that is St Johnstone at Paradise on Sunday.
Conor Spence
