Celtic's Johnston Returns to Training, While Araujo's Season May Be Over

Celtic has been bolstered by the return of Alistair Johnston to training, but the club may have seen the last of loan defender Julian Araujo. Johnston, a Canada right-back, has been sidelined since October with a hamstring injury and recently joined his teammates at the Lennoxtown training complex ahead of the upcoming Scottish Premiership match against St Mirren. Meanwhile, Araujo, who is on loan from Bournemouth, has suffered a setback in his recovery from a thigh problem and may not feature for Celtic again this season. According to Celtic boss Martin O'Neill, 'He [Johnston] trained with the team today, which was very encouraging... If he comes through today, a little bit of work that he did with the team and also the work he did on his own with the recuperative team, then next week would be hopefully a good week's training for him and who knows?' O'Neill also expressed concerns about Araujo's injury, stating, 'Julian re-injured himself under supervision at Bournemouth so that was a real blow... I don't think we will see him for the rest of the season.' Additionally, right-back Colby Donovan will miss Saturday's game due to a hamstring injury, but is recovering well. The return of the Green Brigade to Celtic Park after a five-month ban has also been welcomed by O'Neill, who believes the team's vocal support will provide a boost. With Hearts currently leading the Scottish Premiership table, O'Neill acknowledged that the title race is still uncertain, saying, 'I would still rather be in Hearts' position just now... They are in the lead with games running out, that is not a bad position to be in.'