Neil Lennon had some good news on the injury front for Celtic fans ahead of the Betfred Cup semi-final against Hibs.
He revealed to the Celtic Twitter account that Mikey Johnston, who hasn’t played for the Hoops since the 2-0 win over Rangers at the start of September, ‘may come in to contention’ for the game against the Easter Road side.
That would be a real boost for Celtic. Johnston had started the season in excellent form until his injury struck. With the number of games Celtic have in the weeks ahead, Johnston’s return to fitness has come at just the right time.
Highly unlikely to start semi-final
Now, does that mean he will start against Hibs? That would be unlikely. Not only is he just back from injury, but Mohamed Elyounoussi is currently in excellent form. He will not be dropped from the starting line-up.
However, Johnston could be a game changer for the Hoops from off the bench. If the Hoops are in need of a goal or some attacking play, he is a more than decent option to feature in the game.
Perhaps even if the Hoops are beating Hibs comfortably it might not be a bad idea to give the player last 20 minutes of the game.
He will be desperate for some game time after almost two months out of action.
Hoops boss is a fan of the player
Neil Lennon is obviously a fan of the player, which is why he was featured so often for the team before his injury. Now his return to the side has given the Hoops yet another attacking option.
Elyounoussi is currently playing too well to lose his place in the first-team. But whenever Lennon wants to make a few changes to the first-team, Johnston is a player who is more than capable of having an influence on a game. It can only be a positive thing for the Hoops than Johnston is back.
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