Toronto no-go for Kennedy

Toronto FC boss Mo Johnston has failed in a loan approach for Celtic defender John Kennedy.

The 23-year-old Parkhead centre-back has just returned to action after almost three years out with a major knee injury.

Former Scotland striker Johnston, who had playing spells with both Rangers and Celtic, was keen to land Kennedy for his Major League Soccer side.

However Celtic boss Gordon Strachan reportedly feared that Toronto’s plastic pitch could leave Kennedy vulnerable to a setback.

Johnston told the Daily Express: “We would have been giving him the opportunity to continue his recovery at a very high level.

“I spoke with Gordon and John’s agent and everyone was up for it until we mentioned our stadium has a plastic pitch.

“They took advice from the specialist and the word then came back that he could not be risked on that surface at this stage of his career.”

Although the move for Kennedy failed, Toronto yesterday signed former Sunderland and Leicester midfielder Andy Welsh.