Celtic can replace Donovan by unleashing "young Van Dijk" in new role

Celtic have had some rough luck in the right-back department during the 2025/26 campaign, with injuries ravaging their options in that position.

Alistair Johnston has been out of action since sustaining a muscle injury against Sturm Graz in the Europa League in October, but he made a return to training last month.

However, the full-back was called up by Canada for the March international break and suffered another injury blow, which has delayed his return to the pitch for the Hoops.

Julian Araujo was signed on loan from Bournemouth in the January transfer window to bolster the club’s options in that position, but he sustained a quad injury against Rangers last month that may keep him out for the rest of the campaign.

Colby Donovan stepped in at right-back for the last three Scottish Premiership outings, and he came off with an injury in the 2-1 win over Dundee last weekend.

How long Celtic will need to replace Colby Donovan for

The academy graduate pulled out of Scotland U21 duty with a knee injury last month before playing against Dundee last weekend and coming off with a knee issue.

It has since been reported by the Daily Record that Celtic are sweating on the results of a scan that could rule him out for the remainder of the season.

This means that the Hoops may be without Donovan for a total of eight games in the next two months, with six league matches and possibly two cup games if they beat St Mirren in the semi-finals later this month.

With Araujo and Johnston already on the sidelines and possibly out for the season, Anthony Ralston may be the only natural senior right-back available to Martin O’Neill in the chase for two trophies.

Celtic have lost four of the last seven games Ralston has started, with one of the three wins coming against semi-professional side Auchinleck Talbot, and that is a concern heading into this clutch stage of the campaign.

The Celtic star who could start ahead of Anthony Ralston in the Premiership

Instead of playing the Scotland international, who has not contributed to positive results when he has played of late, O’Neill could be creative by unleashing a star in a new role.

In the January transfer window, Celtic swooped to sign central defender Benjamin Arthur on loan from Premier League side Brentford until the end of the season to bolster their options at the back after Jahmai Simpson-Pusey’s loan came to an end.

Dundee boss Steven Pressley, who worked with him at Brentford, described the star as a « young Virgil van Dijk » who is « quick, strong, and powerful » in defence.

The Bees loanee has shown positive signs in his four league appearances for the Scottish side to date, winning the vast majority of his duels on the ground and in the air, showing the kind of dominance that befits the compliment of being dubbed a « young Virgil van Dijk ».

Ralston, meanwhile, has only averaged 0.5 interceptions per game and won 65% of his overall duels in 19 appearances in the Premiership, which suggests that he is not as mobile or physical as the England U20 international.

Arthur has only played at centre-back so far for the Scottish giants, as that is his natural position, but he has started one career game at right-back and that is a new role that he could play for the Hoops.

O’Neill played Simpson-Pusey at right-back against Kilmarnock in November, despite not knowing if he could play there, and that shows that the manager is prepared to experiment and be creative to find solutions on the pitch.

This means that it is not out of the realms of possibility that Arthur is drafted in to ease the Donovan injury blow, because the team’s results with Ralston as a starter have been concerning of late.

Four defeats in the last six games against Premiership-level opposition with Ralston as a starter does not suggest that he is likely to contribute to Celtic turning the title race around to win the division.

Arthur’s superior mobility and physicality in the right-back position could improve the Celtic backline for this run of important matches, which could be important because they have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of the last eight league games.

It is not ideal, as he is not a natural full-back, but the injuries to Donovan, Araujo, and Johnston have left O’Neill in need of getting creative to put out the strongest possible team.