Celtic manager Martin O'Neill has confirmed that Alistair Johnston "felt something again" after the defender suffered a fresh injury scare during a 2-1 Scottish Premiership victory over Hibernian. The 28-year-old Canada right-back had his substitute appearance at Easter Road abruptly cut short after just 21 minutes, raising concerns following his recent spell on the sidelines.
Johnston missed the majority of last season with hamstring complications and had been sidelined since early August due to a recurrence of the injury. Speaking to BBC Scotland, O'Neill explained that both the player and the doctor were unsure of the damage, pointing out that any minor niggle is worrying when dealing with previous hamstring trouble. The manager confirmed that Johnston will require a scan to determine the full extent of the issue. On a brighter note, United States central defender Cameron Carter-Vickers replaced Johnston to play the final 17 minutes, coming through cleanly after being out of action since mid-September.
The victory at Easter Road saw Celtic bounce back from Thursday's 2-1 home loss to Celta Vigo in the Europa League. Camilo Duran netted the decisive winning goal following Jason Kerr's own leveller. Despite admitting that his side "didn't play particularly well" at a venue he considers notoriously difficult, O'Neill labeled the result their "best win of the season" when taking into account the demanding conditions and the quick turnaround from their midweek European defeat.
Securing a ninth Scottish Premiership win from 10 matches successfully restored Celtic's four-point cushion at the summit of the table. O'Neill's squad will now look ahead to Wednesday, when Dundee United visit Celtic Park for the first of three remaining fixtures scheduled before the next international break.