(Credit: Imago)

Evan Shaw

Mon 30 March 2026 15:00, UK

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Anthony Ralston may be about to get a chance to save his future at Celtic after crushing news of Julian Araujo’s injury.

The Mexican right-back is set to be out for seven to eight weeks of action with a quadricep strain, and according to The Herald, it could rule him out for the remainder of the Scottish Premiership season.

The Bournemouth loanee has been a crucial figure for Martin O’Neill’s side since his arrival in January, but with him having now returned to his parent club to recover, it is possible that he may never be seen again at Parkhead.

Celtic have been keen to bring Araujo in permanently at the end of his loan spell, while Ralston’s future has been looking increasingly bleak at the same time.

The Bhoys are set to undergo a summer of significant change ahead of the 2026-27 campaign, and that could bring a total U-turn regarding the duo.

Anthony Ralston set to play for new contract at Celtic

Football Insider revealed back in February that Celtic would be willing to let Ralston leave this summer, if he was keen on the idea of moving elsewhere to secure more regular gametime.

The 27-year-old is due to enter the final year of his contract in the summer, and with Alistair Johnston nearing a return and a permanent swoop for Araujo a possibility, the club were happy to see him leave.

However, that could now change following the news of Araujo’s injury, as it could see any chance of a permanent deal for him hit the rocks, with an agreement significantly harder to strike with him not at Celtic Park.

Johnston is seemingly not yet ready to return to competitive action, leaving Ralston and youngster Colby Donovan as O’Neill’s main options to play at right-back in the coming weeks.

Ralston hasn’t started a single game since the 3-1 defeat to Rangers on 3 January, and he only played nine minutes of Scotland’s defeat to Japan on Saturday.

However, he now highly likely to feature in the Bhoys’ trip to face Dundee next Sunday, with options elsewhere extremely limited.

A series of strong performances between now and the end of the season could even be enough to alter the club’s stance regarding his long-term future, meaning it is possible that he could effectively be playing for a contract in the coming weeks.

Keith Jackson expects Julian Araujo is finished at Parkhead

Araujo’s injury has received plenty of attention in recent days, and Keith Jackson has wasted no time in weighing in with his verdict regarding his future.

He recently spoke on Record Sport’s Hotline and cast serious doubt over whether it will be possible for Celtic to keep hold of Araujo for next term.

“Could Celtic make the deal permanent? It’ll cost a lot of money; he’ll be on Premier League wages. “I think it’s unlikely. I think we may have seen the last of him. Eyes will be on other parts of the team.”

Jackson’s interpretation of the situation is certainly the most likely scenario in the summer, and that plays perfectly into Ralston’s hands.

Celtic’s recruitment team have enough on their plate elsewhere without having to worry about the right-back spot, and with Johnston likely to be back in the fold by then, they may ultimately already be satisfied with what is in the building.