Alistair Johnston Injury Update
It was clearly a welcome boost to see Alistair Johnston make his first appearance in two months as he appeared as a 52nd minute substitute for Colby Donovan yesterday afternoon at Easter Road…
Alistair Johnston injury concern casts shadow over Celtic’s win at Easter Road
Unfortunately and rather worryingly, the Canadian international was forced to withdraw just twenty minutes later, with speculation rife that he’s had another flare up of the same hamstring injury that has plagued him for the well over a year.
Martin O’Neill later provided an update in his post match interview, but was as much in the dark as the rest of us as he was unable to provide a definite update on the Canadian’s problem, although he did reveal that the right back had felt some discomfort in the same area, bit slightly higher up.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Martin confirmed the right-back had felt discomfort in the same general area which forced him to make way for fellow comeback defender Cameron Carter Vickers, himself returning from an injury layoff.
“Alistair’s felt something again, a little bit high up in his hamstring,” Martin O’Neill
The Irishman explained: “Alistair’s felt something again, a little bit high up in his hamstring. We’re a wee bit concerned about it. We don’t know.
“We’ll see. I don’t want to think about something that may not be there. I’ve just spoken to him in the dressing room. Naturally, I think when you’re coming back from these particular injuries, you do have a concern about it. We’ll see how he is. I just don’t know at this moment.”
Naturally Martin O’Neill was reluctant to speculate on the nature and extent of the injury, and said it was just a case of waiting and hoping it’s not as serious as initially feared.
“I don’t want to think about something that may not be there”
“We’ll see. I don’t want to think about something that may not be there. I’ve just spoken to him in the dressing room. Naturally, I think when you’re coming back from these particular injuries, you do have a concern about it. We’ll see how he is. I just don’t know at this moment.”
We can only hope and pray that it’s not a recurrence of the same problem.
