Celtic’s preparations for the decisive stretch of the season have been dealt another potential blow, with defender Colby Donovan undergoing medical assessment on a knee problem. This will open the door for Anthony Ralston as Celtic’s last man standing right back…
The Scottish champions are already short of options at right-back, with Alistair Johnston and Julian Araujo sidelined and it is uncertain when both will return.
Donovan – a product of the club’s academy – was forced to withdraw from Scot Gemmill’s Scotland Under-21 squad ahead of fixtures against Czechia and Portugal after sustaining the injury during the 2-0 defeat to Dundee United at Tannadice a fortnight ago.
Having only recently returned to action, the youngster featured for 67 minutes in Celtic’s 2-1 victory over Dundee at Dens Park last weekend before being replaced by Anthony Ralston.
Now, as per Stephen McGowan in The Herald, the club is now awaiting scan results as they approach the closing weeks of the campaign, with the title race intensifying against rivals Hearts and the Ibrox club.
Meanwhile, first-choice right-back Johnston – who has been out since October – has encountered a further complication in his recovery after linking up with the Canada squad during the recent international break.
Speaking last week, Martin O’Neill said: “He went away with the Canadian national side, was doing some running and had a bit of a setback on his final day of training, which was really disconcerting for us.”
“In the wider scheme of things, for the length of time he’s been out, hopefully it’s not too bad.”
On-loan full-back Julian Araujo is currently back with parent club Bournemouth as he undergoes treatment for a quadriceps injury.
O’Neill is hopeful the Mexico international can return before the end of the campaign, but there are concerns Celtic could enter Saturday’s clash with St Mirren with Anthony Ralston as their only recognised first-team right-back available.
From Ralston’s point of view a run of starts at Celtic will be helpful to his own hopes of playing some part at this summer’s World Cup Finals.
Conor Spence
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Fuck!
What’s the real reason the mexican is back in Bournemouth. Anybody at Celtic Park capable of telling the truth.hh
The decline in ralston as a player, has been staggering.
Starting the season as a 2nd choice RB, Scottish international hoping to be going to a world cup. To currently been regarded as a 4th choice player in the RB position?
Would already question where his future for next season will be regarding ourselves?
Personally didn’t mind Ralston as a player, with his commitment, added a bit more steel to our team at times, along with able to deliver very dangerous balls into the penalty area.
But that seems to have disappeared altogether this season, from his own game.
As to why, to such a degree, got no idea?
Despite such a decline within Ralston as a player this season, still have just enough confidence, in him, to see this season out for ourselves, if that’s the case?
As MoN tends to set the subs bench up, with a keeper, 2 full backs, 1 CB, 2 midfielders, 2 wide options and a striker.
So, can the shape of our 20man match day squad, within it’s set up, remain intact this weekend?
At a time, where we were looking for a bit of stability and consistency within our 20man match day squad selection.
In the hope that it can generate more consistency within our performance levels as a result.
Something, we haven’t really had in place for the best part of this season.
So any setbacks in such a situation for ourselves, isn’t what we need for the run in of this season imo?