Perhaps one of the most overlooked storylines of Celtic’s recent campaign was the devastating impact of injuries to several of their heavy hitters.
That’s understandable because Celtic had three different managers in the dugout, continued protests against the board, and drama at every turn.
Alistair Johnston was one of the players who suffered injury frustration over two spells before returning at the right time for the hectic and title-defining post-split fixtures.
The Canadian star was in the treatment room alongside his long-term injured teammates Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, Adam Montgomery, and Callum Osmand, as he told Celtic’s podcast how they helped each other out.
“In a weird way, I was lucky that there was actually another larger injured contingent, which isn’t a good thing,” said Johnston.
“But at the same time, CCV (Carter-Vickers) had done his Achilles. Adam Montgomery with his calf and Jota.
“There were quite a few of us, obviously, Callum Osmand as well. Quite a few of us were all in the same boat.”
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Celtic’s results and performances weren’t helping the injured stars
While Johnston and Osmand returned to the pitch, including the latter playing a memorable role in Celtic beating Hearts on the final day.
After missing the whole of last season, it looks highly unlikely that Jota will make his return until the latter stages of 2026. It is truly a crying shame to see a player of his immense talent sidelined for so long.
Carter-Vickers trained during the final weeks, but he wasn’t fit enough to be named in the matchday squad.
Either way, Celtic fans can only get updates on these players’ injury situations via official channels or what they post on social media.
Johnston explained how the sidelined stars banded together and ‘helped all of us’ through their recoveries, even as Celtic’s frustrating on-pitch results only added to the agony of watching from the stands.
“That kind of helped each of us mentally,” said Johnston about Celtic’s long-term injured players.
“You weren’t in it alone. But at the same time, we were each pushing each other. Alright, ‘Who is going to get back first? Who is going to do this?’
“It was nice in that sense. You had someone else to push, so I think that really helped all of us.
“At the same time, we were watching the football, and the results weren’t always the best on the pitch. That’s difficult because, as one of the older players in the team, I take a lot of pride in winning and also helping the group in any way possible.
“Myself and CCV were trying our best to just see it from a different angle. Try to help the boys in any way we can from being up in the stands. But it wasn’t easy. You could see how much the guys were putting into it. How much the storylines were coming in. Glasgow is like that.”
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