Bolton Wanderers centre-back George Johnston will spend the entirety of the 2023/24 campaign on the sidelines after picking up an injury during a friendly.
Ian Evatt’s side travelled to Bamber Bridge on Saturday to kickstart their pre-season schedule, but Johnston would only make it ten minutes into the encounter before suffering a cruciate ligament tear which will now require several months of rehab along with surgery.
The 24-year-old had just come off the back of an impressive year for Bolton, making 45 appearances as the Greater Manchester outfit achieved a fifth place finish and added silverware to their collection in the form of the Papa John’s Trophy.
Johnston is heading into his third season with the club having signed as a free agent from Feyenoord in the summer of 2021, though will now have to wait quite some time before returning to action.
Bolton beat Curzon Ashton 3-1 on Tuesday evening in their second fixture of pre-season, Evatt had his say on Johnston’s injury after the match.
“We know he is going to have some dark days and some challenging times,” said the Wanderers boss.
“We will make sure we are there for him on his dark days and support him as best we can.
“This football club is a shining light, really, of how we treat people on and off the pitch and we will make sure he is looked after.
“We wish him a speedy recovery.”
What does this mean for Johnston?
Johnston’s current contract with the club is due to expire next summer, so this injury has come at a really bad timing.
It is likely that the talented defender will still be offered a new deal, but whether or not his cruciate ligament tear will have an impact on any future contract is yet to be determined.
Bolton take good care of their players, and Johnston will be no exception, so hopefully the centre-back’s recovery goes well and we will be seeing him again before we know it.