Canadian international fullback Alistair Johnston had hamstring surgery on Tuesday following a setback in his recovery from injury. The 27-year-old, hailing from Aurora, Ont., sustained the initial injury during Glasgow Celtic’s Champions League match against Kairat Almaty on Aug. 20. Despite making a comeback against Sturm Graz on Oct. 23, Johnston could only manage 23 minutes on the field.
Johnston, who boasts 56 caps for Canada and has been a prominent player under coach Jesse Marsch, shared the news of his surgery on social media. Expressing his gratitude for the support received, he mentioned that the surgery aimed to fix his hamstring issue and pave the way for a full recovery.
His Celtic teammate Callum Osmand also had hamstring surgery, with Celtic’s interim manager Martin O’Neill stating that both players are expected to be sidelined for an extended period. O’Neill explained that Johnston’s surgery was necessitated by a tear revealed in a recent scan, underscoring the unfortunate nature of the injury.
In light of these setbacks, Marsch faces the absence of several key players for the upcoming November friendlies against Ecuador and Venezuela. The injury list includes notable names like captain Alphonso Davies, Moise Bombito, Sam Adekugbe, Jacob Shaffelburg, Liam Millar, and Luc de Fougerolles.