Colby Donovan should start for Celtic vs Dundee after Alistair Johnston latest
Celtic boss Martin O'Neill should hand Colby Donovan a start in their Premiership opener against Dundee as Alistair Johnston is linked to Everton.
Johnston's future has been up in the air over the last few weeks after he impressed at the World Cup during Canada's run to the round of 16 stage.
The Hoops' right-back struggled with injury woes throughout last season but has proved his quality as one of the best defenders in the Premiership since joining the club in 2022.
Record Sport have claimed that Everton are preparing to make a big-money bid for his services in the coming days, and he is open to a Premier League switch.
The 27-year-old seems likely to leave the club if the Toffees submit an offer that Celtic can't refuse, potentially leaving Donovan and Anthony Ralston as O'Neill's right-back options for the time being.
Donovan is clearly the best option for the Hoops, with the future taken into account, and he should be given the chance to nail down a starting berth as they start their 2026-27 campaign.
Colby Donovan deserves Celtic chance as Alistair Johnston exit edges closer
Donovan ended the 2025-26 campaign on the sidelines with a hamstring injury after finding his way into the starting eleven before the Premiership split.
The 19-year-old had started the season as Celtic's third-choice right-back, but managed to make 27 appearances in all competitions and registered four assists in the process.
He clearly has a high ceiling after impressing in several appearances, yet sources have previously revealed to Football Insider that O'Neill is ready to let Donovan leave on loan this summer.
With Johnston potentially on his way out and Celtic unlikely to move for former loanee Julian Araujo, it would make a lot of sense for the teen star to be given a chance against Dundee.
He recently shone in their 2-2 friendly draw against AC Milan, making the most defensive contributions of any player (11), creating a chance and winning five ground duels.
Donovan should be trusted ahead of 27-year-old Anthony Ralston, as he is much more likely to be a regular for the Hoops in the years to come and was better than him last season.
He could be the natural successor to Johnston if he is allowed to leave, and O'Neill should give him the chance to impress on Monday night.
O'Neill has made his thoughts on Donovan very clear
Donovan could well be anticipating being given a chance in Celtic's first Premiership game of the campaign, given that O'Neill clearly rates him highly.
The Celtic boss gave him the majority of his chances in his two spells in charge last season, and heaped praise on the teen star after he starred in their away win at Feyenoord last season.
He said: “Couldn’t be more pleased with him. Couldn’t be more pleased. I thought that he had a tough time at Hearts. Got left out. He’s come in here. I’ve seen bits of him now that I think, ‘Yeah, wait a minute, there’s a player there’.
“And I thought he was terrific, because he was up against a really decent player. And he coped admirably, considering we were away from home. And, yeah, I couldn’t be more pleased with him. I said to him in the dressing room there that he was magnificent tonight.”