Having chased shadows when Celtic were humbled in the Nou Camp earlier this season, Scott Brown has some sympathy for players finding themselves lunging into unsavoury tackles at Celtic Park.

Kieran Tierney and Scott Sinclair have been on the receiving end of some hefty challenges in recent weeks, tackles which led to Brendan Rodgers appealing to referees for greater protection for his players.

While Brown concurs with the sentiment, he believes that the speed of which Celtic move the ball as well as the frustration that can creep in when players are struggling to contain teams can lead to rash moments- moments, as he admitted, that he has found himself in at times.

“I’ve been there against Barcelona when I’ve been one or two seconds too late,” admitted the Celtic skipper, mindful perhaps of a crass challenge on Neymar back in 2013 in the Champions League at Celtic Park that earned him a red-card as Neil Lennon’s side lost 1-0. “I know how it feels. All you can do is be that wee bit quicker. I’m sure the refs will get it right.”

Celtic are currently on a run of 31 games without defeat domestically while only Inverness Caledonian Thistle have taken points off them in the league this term. Since that draw against the Highlanders, Brendan Rodgers’ side have won every won of their league games – all 20 of them – and stopping the Parkhead side has brought about a more robust approach from some teams.

“I think people are getting annoyed with us continually winning,” said Brown. “It does get frustrating – I’ve been there before myself. When people are fighting to get three points and you are two or three nil up, you keep the ball. There’s always going to be late tackles.

“It’s happened a few times. Some of them have been quite bad – the one on KT and Scotty in the past couple of games in particular.

“We just need to make sure that everyone is all right and keep the safety of the game. I think it’s always in the back of somebody’s mind. If we go two or three nil up and are keeping the ball and they are not getting a touch, it’s hard for everybody.”

Rodgers has insisted that his team are capable of coping with the physical and aggressive element but has appealed that challenges stay on the right side of the law.

“The gaffer is right,” said Brown. “We’re a team that can play nice, attractive football or can get mixed in. We’ve a lot of boys who can do that as well. If teams want to do that against us we can certainly do that back but not in a nasty way or a way in which you are going to injure people.

“The way we are trying to go is so continue to try and win games, to keep the ball as long as possible. Teams are camping in against us. The more we keep the ball, the more we tire them out.

“The more we tire them out, the more chance of late tackles and red cards and stuff. As I say, I’ve been on the other end of that before and I know that it’s not great at times.”

Leigh Griffiths is back in contention for a place in the squad for this afternoon’s visit of Hamilton Accies. The 26-year-old has been sidelined since the turn of the year with a tight hamstring but more notable was the public rebuke issued to last season’s Player of the Year by his manager who aimed a timely reminder of Griffiths’ responsibilities as a professional football player.

It remains to be seen whether or not the penny has dropped with the forward who netted 40 goals last term.

“The wee man has been frightening in training,” said Brown. “That’s him back now and I know what it’s like when you get an injuries then pick up another one when you are coming back. But he is looking sharp and chirpy, so it will be good to have him back in the squad.”

Celtic are closing in on not just a Treble this term but a number of individual records. Martin O’Neill’s side set the benchmark in 2003-04 with a winning run of 25 games but Brown’s focus at the minute lies in maintaining the standard set in the opening half of the season.

“The way we want to go is by playing good, attractive football especially at Celtic Park for the fans,” he said. “We’ve been doing that, winning games and we want to continue that for as long as we possibly can and the feeling in the camp now is that we can keep going for as long as we possibly can.

“We’re enjoying it, we’re enjoying our football and entertaining the fans in a stadium which is full. We’re just enjoying being here just now. That’s the main thing. That’s why this run is continuing because everyone is together. There are no individuals. The gaffer made that clear from day one.”