Credit: Imago

Jack Dawson

Sat 4 April 2026 10:40, UK

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Celtic have to consider selling Alistair Johnston in the summer transfer window after his recent injury.

The full-back suffered another setback during the international break while training with Canada.

The 27-year-old had been looking to make a return to Celtic’s matchday squad for the first time since October, but is now ruled out for the upcoming fixtures.

As a result, it may be time for the Hoops to cut ties with the defender as he continues to struggle for fitness.

Below, Football Insider has examined why Celtic should sell Johnston after his recent injury.

Alistair Johnston has still only played five Celtic matches this season

Johnston’s injury issues have plagued the entire 2025-26 campaign. To date, he has only played five matches for the first time as he struggles to return from the sidelines.

This has no doubt been a big loss for the Hoops, with the full-back being excellent for the club last season when they won the Scottish Premiership.

However, every time Johnston appears to be on the mend, he suffers yet another setback.

This occurred back in October when he returned for the victory over Sturm Graz, only to pick up another injury.

Now, history has repeated itself after he suffered a setback during his final day of training with Canada after previously being on track to return before the split.

Simply put, given Celtic’s suffer woes, they cannot afford to have a player like Johnston sat on the sidelines for almost an entire season.

On top of this, given how long he was out for, there is no guarantee he will return to his previous heights, or even worse, he could pick up another injury.

Therefore, Celtic should look to simply sell the full-back in the summer and try to get as much money as possible to reinvest in less injury-prone players.

Could Celtic replace Johnston in the summer transfer window?

Football Insider has exclusively revealed that Celtic could secure a permanent deal for Julian Araujo in the summer transfer window.

The full-back has been on loan at the Hoops this season, and AFC Bournemouth are willing to sanction a sale.

Araujo is also willing to make a permanent move to Celtic Park after impressing when he has played for the club.

However, after the Mexico international picked up a muscle injury before the international break, it remains to be seen if Celtic would still be willing to make a deal.