Admittedly, Brendan Rodgers was in a tough spot going into the game against Sturm Graz. In a Europa League context, it was a must-win matchup for Celtic. They also needed to bounce back from the defeat at the hands of Dundee FC at the weekend, which left them five points behind Hearts in the title race. Then again, what made things trickier is the upcoming trip to Tynecastle Park to take on Derek McInnes' side.
This is, without a doubt, the most difficult period for Rodgers as a Celtic manager. Unfortunately, under that pressure, he seemed to make a poor decision, which has cost the Hoops dearly.
Despite spending several months out injured, Rodgers put Alistair Johnston straight back into the starting XI against Sturm Graz. And he ended up picking up another injury and had to be subbed off in the first half itself.
It was a decision you would expect from an inexperienced manager, not someone like Rodgers. Unsurprisingly, he has been on the receiving end of heavy criticism as a result of it.
Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers slammed for bad decision against Sturm Graz
One Celtic fan wrote regarding Johnston's new injury: "Brendan Rodgers rushed Alistair Johnston back because he strangely refused to just keep playing Colby Donovan who was in form."
Another wrote: "Just gets worse. What was Rodgers thinking starting AJ in a European game after being out for 2 months?"
A third Celtic fan added: "Rushing players back, team negative and can’t score a goal. Time to go Rodgers."
The fact of the matter is, Johnston should have never started the game against Sturm Graz. He had not kicked a ball for months and is someone who has had his fair share of injuries in the past. It was a poor decision on the part of Rodgers and Celtic have paid the price for it.
It remains to be seen what the extent of the issue is. One can only hope that Celtic end up being lucky and it turns out to be a minor issue. But if this ends up being another long-term injury, then this is a mistake that will make it even more difficult for the Hoops to find any kind of form over the coming months.