SCOTT Brown's personality does not allow for slipping the mental gears into idle.

Being told to rest and do nothing for the past couple of weeks would feel like a gift for much of the population. Not Brown. His restlessness, energy and mischief doesn't allow for a prolonged spell of inactivity.

Since he last played for Celtic 17 days ago, he has been removed from the front line as the Champions League draw plunged the club in with Barcelona, Benfica and Spartak Moscow, they dropped two league points at home to Hibernian, and then Scotland stumbled through two opening draws in the World Cup qualifiers.

There was no pleasure for him in the role of an outsider looking in on any of that lot, but a return to active involvement is imminent. Whether or not he plays against St Johnstone in Perth tomorrow, he will return against Benfica in the opening group game at Parkhead on Wednesday.

The expected absence of Georgios Samaras because of an elbow injury will leave Brown as the only player on the pitch with prior experience of playing for Celtic in a group fixture.

When he last did so, against Villarreal in December 2008, his team mates included Artur Boruc, Shunsuke Nakamura, Aiden McGeady and Shaun Maloney. The quality of that side added substance to the assessment he made of his current colleagues yesterday:

"This is the best Celtic team I have played in, looking at it fitness-wise and attacking-wise. We have a couple of players for each position. Once you have that and people fighting for places, it creates a lot more competition. It's a happy place to be.

"I'm really enjoying being the captain but it's not just me. All of the lads around me are incredible and just seem to be getting better and better. You see Gary Hooper playing up front and it's some difference compared to when he first signed. He scores, he holds the ball up and bullies defenders twice his size.

"We have got people with real quality all over the team, like 'Jamesey' [James Forrest] who did well for Scotland. Once he gets on the ball, anything can happen."

Brown knows how much players like Forrest, still only 21, are likely to grow from being in the Champions League. "It will be enjoyable: six games you'll remember for the rest of your life. Playing Barcelona – the Messis and Iniestas – is what dreams are made of and it's big for the young boys coming through. We want the likes of Barcelona to bring their best team to see how far we have developed as a team and as individuals.

"The home games are the main ones for us. Celtic Park is hard for any team to visit. We've given Barcelona real games there before and been unlucky, and we've beaten the likes of Manchester United. It shows we can pop up with surprise results."

And what of Neil Lennon? "It's a big thing on the manager's cv to say he's taken Celtic into the group stages. We've made cutbacks and, with Rangers not being in the league, we've had to sell players, so it's been hard for the club. For him to do it with about nine of last season's squad missing [in the qualifying rounds] is incredible."

Brown, the reluctant spectator, was on his backside rather than on the pitch at Hampden on Tuesday, watching from the stand as Scotland were booed off against Macedonia.

A year ago, Lennon was under intense pressure when Celtic badly trailed Rangers in the league, only to turn things around. Now it is Brown's other manager, Craig Levein, who's getting it in the neck.

"Craig has fighting spirit. It's hard for an international manager, you only get to see the players three or four times a season. And even then it's only a few days before the game. You have to pick your best XI and it's hard just sitting about hotels, the players miss their families.

"We didn't do amazing in the double-header, but we also didn't too bad. I wouldn't say we've dropped four points, I'd say it's more two points gained. We're sitting not too bad. But everyone's disappointed at not winning, the same as the fans."

Scott Brown was speaking at a media conference to publicise ESPN's live coverage of the St Johnstone versus Celtic game from 11.45am tomorrow.

Kick-off is 12.30pm.