Brendan Rodgers has delivered encouraging news on Celtic’s defensive situation ahead of tomorrow’s Premiership clash with Hibernian at Celtic Park. He confirmed Anthony Ralston is fully fit and available, while Auston Trusty has resumed training after overcoming a minor injury.
Defensive setbacks have been a concern in recent weeks, with Alistair Johnston still sidelined following a hamstring problem picked up during European qualifiers. Rodgers remains optimistic about his recovery, noting that Johnston should be back in full training soon, though he won’t feature this weekend.
Notably, there was no update on Cameron Carter-Vickers, who appeared uncomfortable late on against Red Star Belgrade. His absence from the injury report suggests he is fit and ready as normal.
With a busy run of fixtures on the horizon, Rodgers will be relieved to have more defensive options. The added depth will help him rotate players during what promises to be a demanding schedule in both domestic and European competition.
“Tony trained earlier in the week, travelled with us, and is available for tomorrow,” Rodgers said. “Auston had his first session back with the group today. As for Ali Johnston, he should be with us soon, but he’s not ready yet.”
Ralston’s return is timely, particularly with Johnston still in rehab, and he is expected to feature more regularly in the coming weeks. Trusty’s return is also significant, as Celtic have been short at centre-back, with Carter-Vickers only recently returning from summer surgery. Rodgers may ease Trusty back in depending on his fitness.
Johnston’s recovery is progressing steadily, and he could be back later this month, giving Rodgers a full complement of right-sided defenders for the first time this season. For now, the latest injury news offers more positives than setbacks, strengthening Celtic’s push to maintain momentum in Europe and the Premiership.
Leave a Reply