Neil Lennon questions Celtic medical staff after Alistair Johnston concern
Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon has questioned the club's medical staff after Alistair Johnston was cleared to play on Sunday, and perhaps incorrectly so.
Johnston has been out since August with a hamstring issue, with his injury issues continuing into this season having cost him much of the last campaign. The right-back did play in the World Cup with Canada and returned for an early start to the season with Celtic, which may not have helped his case.
But on Sunday, it looked as though his long wait for a return to football had ended when he came off the bench to replace Colby Donovan in the 2-1 win over Hibs.
But Johnston had to be replaced after just 21 minutes after he 'felt something' in the hamstring area, according to Martin O'Neill. O'Neill obviously didn't know the extent of the potential setback after the game and was reluctant to comment.
He said: "Alistair felt something again high up in his hamstring. That would be a blow if he is out. You never know, it might be cramp, it could be a number of things, but he was settling in nicely, so it's a shame.
"I don't want to think about something that may not be there. I have spoken him the dressing room. Naturally, when you are coming back from injury, the concern is there."
Speaking after the game on Sky Sports' coverage of the game, former Hoops boss Lennon questioned whether Johnston actually was ready to return. He said: "I don’t understand it. This isn’t the first time this has happened to Alistair, so I don’t know what is going on behind the scenes.
“You know, the medical team, the fitness team and the coaching team have felt that he is fit to play some part in the game – but quite clearly that has not been the case.
“For me, Martin obviously can’t diagnose it straight away and what the damage is – if there is any – that has been done. I doubt it’s a psychological thing, knowing Alistair Johnston, he is obviously feeling something is not right.
“I don’t know if he needs a prolonged period…hamstring injuries are such a difficult one to get right – the rehabilitation right and the timing right – you can do it again. If this is a reoccurrence if the same injury then that is a real, real worry for the player.”
It's difficult to answer those questions unless you are privy to what is happening behind the scenes. One would imagine the medical team do all the necessary checks before clearing a player to return, but it wouldn't be the first time that a club's medical department made a mess of a player's rehabilitation. These things happen, but it's also common for players to suffer unpredictable setbacks, such is the complex nature of the human body.
It's also important to note that we don't know whether Johnston has suffered a setback, or whether he had some muscle cramping, which can happen after a recent injury.
