Alistair Johnston was a standout performer for Celtic last season but has found the going much tougher since the departure of Ange Postecoglou and the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as the Australian's replacement. Still, the Canadian international has been successful in holding down his place in the starting XI in the ongoing campaign till now.
Anthony Ralston looks set for a run in the first-team though after Johnston suffered an injury in the recent game against Hibernian away at Easter Road. He even had to be stretchered off.
There is mixed news on the injury suffered by Johnston. While it is not significant, he does have a fracture and could be out for as many as four weeks depending upon his recovery. If things go well, he might even be able to return in about 10 days.
As reported by the Daily Record, Rodgers said when talking about the injury status of Johnston:
"We’re just waiting to see again on him. A slight fracture on the side.
“The thinking is we’ll have a look in 10 days to see where he’s at. But it could be 10 days to four weeks. We’ll just have to wait and see."
Celtic boss shares update on Johnston's fracture
There were many Celtic fans who wanted Johnston to be dropped from the starting XI before his injury. Now, Ralston will get a chance to show that he has the ability to be a starter for the Hoops.
In the past, under the management of Postecoglou, Ralston has shown that he is capable of being a starter in a winning side. It remains to be seen if he can do that now.
Celtic do not have any other option at right-back at the moment. In fact, there have also been suggestions to play Ralston at left-back in place of Alexandro Bernabei and for Johnston to start on the opposite flank, when everybody is fit and available.
For the time being, we can only wish Johnston the best in his recovery process. Hopefully, he will be back to full fitness as soon as possible.