ALISTAIR JOHNSTON has been called up for the Canada international squad – at the same time his Celtic stand-in Julian Araujo was overlooked by Mexico.
Johnston, whose season has been ravaged by injury and has not been seen since limping off early in the 2-1 Europa League win over Sturm Graz in October, is a surprise inclusion by international boss Jesse Marsch.
However, the 27-year-old defender, will NOT be making an appearance in the friendly double-header against Iceland and Tunisia ahead of Canada hosting the World Cup Finals alongside America and Mexico in the summer.
SITTING IT OUT…Alistair Johnston’s season has been ravaged by injury.
The crocked Celt and OGC Nice’s Moise Bombito are both in the pool and Marsch, speaking to the Daily Record, explained: “Neither will feature in either of the friendlies.
“They’ll train with the team and be around the group, with the hope being that they’ll return to action for their clubs in the coming weeks.
“Moise and Alistair are two that, for a long time, we have committed to having them come in and then having them be around the team.
“Which I think more than anything, was important mentally for them, but also for them to get up to speed after they’ve missed a lot of windows, so they will be coming.”
Martin O’Neill is refusing to take any risks with Johnston, who underwent surgery earlier this season.
Araujo, on loan from Bournemouth, and Scotland duo Anthony Ralston and Colby Dovovan have filled in at right-back during his absence in this campaign.
GOVAN GLEE…Julian Araujo celebrates Celtic’s dramatic Scottish Cup penaltty-kick shoot-out triumph at Ibrox.
The 16 times-capped Mexican was expected to get the nod to return to the squad after an absence of nine months for the friendlies against Portugal and Belgium.
Araujo, 24, has been an instant hit with the Hoops fans and, of course, scored the dramatic stoppage-time winner in the 3-2 victory over Kilmarnock at Rugby Park last month that could prove crucial at the conclusion of the campaign.
Supremo Javier Aguirre looked poised to bring him back, but Araujo missed the champions’ 3-1 win over Motherwell at the weekend with a thigh injury and that may have swung the national gaffer’s decision.
The California-born back-four performer is also struggling to be fit in time to face Dundee United at Tannadice on Sunday afternoon.
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