Anthony Ralston was back in action for Celtic reserves today

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There was a surprise return to match action today for Celtic right-back Anthony Ralston.

The academy graduate lined up this afternoon for the Celtic reserve side against St Mirren. The match may have ended in a 3-3 draw, but Ralston managed to grab 90 minutes in impressive fashion at the ironically named Ralston Training Complex in Paisley.

The defender hasn’t played for the Celtic first-team since mid-January in the 3-0 win over Airdrieonians. That match was the first game after the winter break.

Since then, Ralston has been nursing ligament damage for several months. And now, it finally seems as though he’s overcome that and is back on the pitch once again.

It remains to be seen how match-fit Ralston truly is, but the 90 minutes today will do him the world of good.

Significant for next season

It’s unlikely that Ralston breaks into the first-team in the closing stages of the campaign. We’re now into the business end of things, and with a treble-treble still to be wrapped up, it would be surprising if Ralston featured.

But his return is significant ahead of next season. He should ideally be focusing on getting his strength back and keeping his fitness levels high for pre-season, which could be as early as June given the Champions League qualifiers will kick off for Celtic in mid-July.

With Cristian Gamboa and Mikael Lustig into the final couple of months of their respective contracts, and with Jeremy Toljan set to go back to Borussia Dortmund – Ralston is Celtic’s only contracted right-back for next season.

That will be sure to change over the summer, but it gives him a massive leg-up for pre-season. An impressive camp before the Champions League qualifiers could have him sniffing around the first-team. Granted, Celtic must still go out and look for a solid number one replacement for Lustig.

It’s clear that Ralston’s recovery is now over, and the work on match-sharpness can now begin. It’s nice to see him back in the frame once again, even if first-team chances for him will likely be limited between now and the end of the season.

Would you give Ralston a shot before the campaign closes? Perhaps after we officially win the league? Let us know your opinions in the comments below