Johnston’s Long-Term Injury
Martin O'Neill confirmed that right-back Alistair Johnston will be sidelined until October after a muscular injury setback. The 29-year-old, who missed most of last season with a hamstring tear, pulled up with another muscular injury against Kilmarnock earlier this month. He sat out wins over Dundee United and LASK, and after further scans the prognosis is a return sometime in October. O'Neill said, “There was definitely something there. I think the prognosis is sometime in October for him. Yeah (it's a blow).” The Canada World Cup star is linked with a big-money move to Everton.
Trusty Ready for the LASK Showdown
Auston Trusty, who missed training at Parkhead this morning with an upset stomach, is expected to be fit for tomorrow’s Champions League play-off second leg against LASK. O'Neill said, “Yeah, he’s travelled. He had an upset stomach this morning. But he’s with us. He’ll hopefully be okay for tomorrow. Everyone else has travelled.” The match, worth £40million, will take place on Tuesday.
Defensive Reinforcements on the Horizon
With Johnston out and Kieran being the only left-sided full-back, O'Neill said the club is in the market for further defensive reinforcements. “We need to have a look. If you consider that Kieran is essentially our only left-sided full-back, we’ll have a little look,” he added. He also noted that Celtic’s transfer business will not depend on whether they qualify for the Champions League, stating, “No. I hope that regardless of the result, we’ll be in European football anyway, that will take us through until January, so I think that we still have to strengthen.” The transfer deadline is approaching, giving the club a few days to secure new players.
