Celtic manager Neil Lennon had some good news on the injury front ahead of Thursday’s Europa League match against Cluj.
The Hoops boss revealed to the Daily Record that Mikey Johnston is back in training after being out injured for a few weeks.
The Celtic winger had been in excellent form prior to picking up his injury. Now that he has returned to training, he should be back in the first-team for the upcoming Europa League fixture against Cluj.
Player should be first choice on the wing
Johnston’s performances have been so good this season, that he should be a first choice on the wing for the Hoops when he is available for selection.
Johnston’s last performance before his injury was one of his best of the season for Celtic. He was excellent in the 2-0 win over Rangers, setting up Odsonne Edouard’s opening goal for the team.
Normally it could perhaps be considered a risk bringing a player back into the first-team after almost a month out.
However, the Hoops need to win against Cluj. A draw or loss would make qualifying for the last 32 of the Europa League a lot more difficult.
Hoops need to make a statement
Having Johnston in the team would give the Hoops more of a chance of defeating Cluj. Celtic need to go out and make a statement against Cluj.
They need to show that the 4-3 loss to the Romanian side in the Champions League qualifiers was a one-off, a mistake that will not be repeated.
For that to happen, the Hoops must pick their best available team. At the moment, that would include Johnston.
Therefore, the winger should be back in the starting line-up at Celtic Park on Thursday night. It would be a real boost to the winger, and show that he is one of the most important players in the Celtic side going forward for the rest of the season.
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