Celtic defender Alistair Johnston has provided an update on the hip problem that saw him substituted at halftime against Dinamo Zagreb last night.
With Johnston a surprise change at halftime for Anthony Ralston, it was clear the switch was forced upon Brendan Rodgers by an injury setback rather than anything tactical.
However, Johnston himself is positive about his chances of making the Premier Sports Cup final against the Rangers on Sunday, with the fixture being one he has been eagerly awaiting.
He said: (Daily Record), “It’s a match that’s circled on the calendar, it’s a match I want to be a part of. It’s a chance to lift a trophy, a big match. So, yes, Sunday’s not far away, but at the same time there’s just enough of a break where I feel like, listen, we’ll see how it goes and hopefully I’ll be ready for it. It was just an awkward one. We’ll do some tests on it and, hopefully, it’s nothing too serious. We’ll see how the flight goes, take it day by day, hour by hour.
“It’s games like these everyone wants, to compete for trophies, Finals at Hampden. It’s where you want to be. It will be a great match and everyone’s excited for it. It’s the first trophy of the season and we’d love to add it to our collection and really end this calendar year on a high note.”
Johnston also discussed the lead-up to the injury and the feeling he had that something wasn’t right even before the halftime whistle blew.
He said: (Daily Record), “It’s just a weird one and I was glad I could make it to half time. But I didn’t feel 100 per cent and Tony’s a very good player, so it made sense. I didn’t want to do any more damage potentially.
“We’re not really sure what’s going on with it, so we’ll just get home and have a look at it. We’ll see. Hopefully we’ll be back out on the training pitch and get ready to go for Sunday.”
The hope will be that any scans Johnston undergoes in the coming days come back all clear, as he has certainly been a standout for Celtic this season, with his absence felt in the second half against Dinamo Zagreb last night.
Going forward, he brings a different dimension to Ralston, who has proven to be a great squad player in recent years.
However, Brendan Rodgers will be desperate to have Johnston fit and ready to start on Sunday, as the Canadian international is usually at the heart of everything Celtic do well, whether it’s delivering crosses in the final third or making last-ditch tackles in defence.
