Canadian national team fullback Alistair Johnston had surgery on his hamstring on Tuesday after experiencing a setback in his recovery from an injury. The 27-year-old athlete, hailing from Aurora, Ontario, sustained the initial injury during a Champions League match for Glasgow Celtic against Kairat Almaty on August 20. Although he made a comeback against Sturm Graz from Austria on October 23, he could only play for 23 minutes.
Johnston, who has represented Canada in 56 matches and has been a crucial player under coach Jesse Marsch, shared the news of his surgery on social media. Expressing his gratitude for the support received during his challenging period, he mentioned that the surgery aimed to mend his hamstring, hoping it would mark the beginning of the end of his injury woes.
His Celtic teammate Callum Osmand also had to undergo hamstring surgery, with Celtic’s interim manager Martin O’Neill mentioning that both players would have an extended period on the sidelines due to their injuries. O’Neill revealed that Johnston’s surgery was prompted by a scan that showed damage, including a tear in the hamstring.
Marsch faces the absence of several other players in preparation for upcoming friendlies against Ecuador and Venezuela in November. The list of injured players includes captain Alphonso Davies, Moise Bombito, Sam Adekugbe, Jacob Shaffelburg, Liam Millar, and Luc de Fougerolles.