Canadian international fullback Alistair Johnston recently had hamstring surgery following a setback in his recovery from an injury. The 27-year-old, hailing from Aurora, Ont., initially sustained the injury during Glasgow Celtic’s Champions League match against Kairat Almaty on Aug. 20. Although he returned to play against Sturm Graz on Oct. 23, his time on the field was short-lived, lasting only 23 minutes.
Johnston, with 56 caps for Canada and a prominent role under coach Jesse Marsch, shared news of his surgery through a social media post. Expressing gratitude for the support during this challenging period, he expressed optimism about the surgery being a pivotal step towards full recovery, aiming to overcome this injury permanently.
His teammate at Celtic, Callum Osmand, also had hamstring surgery, with Celtic’s interim manager Martin O’Neill acknowledging the extended absence of both players. O’Neill mentioned that Johnston’s surgery was necessitated by a scan revealing significant damage, including a tear in the hamstring, lamenting the loss of a talented player.
Jesse Marsch faces a depleted squad for the upcoming November friendlies against Ecuador and Venezuela, with key players such as captain Alphonso Davies, Moise Bombito, Sam Adekugbe, Jacob Shaffelburg, Liam Millar, and Luc de Fougerolles sidelined due to injuries.