Celtic's Defensive Blow: Alistair Johnston Ruled Out Until October
Celtic have been dealt another defensive blow, with Alistair Johnston ruled out until October, Martin O'Neill has confirmed.
The 27-year-old Canada international, who spent most of last season battling a hamstring problem, limped out at half-time in Celtic’s second league game of the campaign against Kilmarnock. Hopes that it was only a minor setback have gone.
A scan has shown otherwise. Johnston now faces yet another stretch on the sidelines.
“There was definitely something there, and I think the prognosis is really that it will be some time in October for him,” O’Neill said, speaking before the Champions League play-off second leg away to LASK.
Defensive worries amid attacking rebuild
Celtic have spent the summer sharpening their attack and being linked with a raft of midfield targets. The back line, though, is starting to look exposed, and O’Neill did not try to hide it.
“If you consider that Kieran [Tierney] is essentially our only left-sided full-back, we'll have a little look,” he admitted.
The manager stressed he will not be dragged fully into transfer business until the European tie in Linz is out of the way.
“I really will not concentrate on anything at all until after the game, regardless of what the result is or whichever competition we happen to be in.
“We've got some days before the transfer deadline [3 September], and I hope that we will get some people in.”
For now, the links remain just that. O’Neill said there was no fresh movement regarding Ermin Mahmic of Slovan Liberec or Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis.
Quality over quantity
The rebuild at Celtic Park has been sizeable. The squad has been stripped back and partially rebuilt, and O’Neill laid out the scale of the turnaround.
“I was told some weeks ago that we'd lost 14 players and we'd only replaced them with two at the time,” he said.
“But I think the whole thing was balanced out. There were some of those players that we took on loan, that were going to be leaving anyway, weren't going to be coming back. And it was a matter of trying to get a little bit of quality in.
“I think that we could fill up the squad if you wanted to, with loads of names. But it was a bit of quality that we were looking for because that eventually would be, I think, of paramount importance between now and January.”
The message is clear: numbers alone will not solve Celtic’s problems, especially with a Champions League group stage within reach and a title race to navigate.
Young cover, big responsibility
In Johnston’s absence, 19-year-old Colby Donovan has been thrown into the spotlight. The teenager impressed in the 3-0 first-leg win over LASK at Celtic Park, showing composure in a high-stakes European night that might have daunted older players.
Scotland international Anthony Ralston offers another option at right-back, giving O’Neill at least some depth as he juggles domestic and European demands.
But with Johnston out until October and Tierney the only natural option on the opposite flank, Celtic’s margin for error in defence is shrinking fast. With the transfer deadline looming and a Champions League place on the line, the next few days will tell whether the club’s push for “a bit of quality” can keep pace with the demands of the season.
