SCOTT Brown will make a decision on whether to continue playing for Scotland at the end of Celtic’s hectic run of matches this month.
Brown came out of international retirement to represent his country in the Russia 2018 qualifier against England at Wembley last month.
Despite being unable to prevent the national team from slumping to a 3-0 defeat, the 51-times capped midfielder performed well.
He has refused to say whether he will be involved when Scotland take on Slovenia in their next Group F match at Hampden in March.
That is even though Gordon Strachan has confirmed that he is staying on as manager.
However, the Celtic captain, whose form has improved greatly as a result of the extended break he enjoyed during the summer, will see how his body feels at the end of December and decide then.
“This is the big one for me,” he said. “It is nine games now, well, eight as I am suspended [for the Dundee game on Saturday]. If I can get through them feeling good then it turns my head a wee bit.
“But if injuries creep in and my body feels a bit tight then it pushes it the other way. I’ll see how it is after the 31st and see how I feel after six or seven days off and then a mid-season camp.
“There are so many games that it will batter my body and everyone’s body, but I am feeling good. I feel fit and I want to continue the way I am.
“I don’t want to be at 85% or 90% week in, week out. I want to use all my energy and enjoy football. That is the way I have been playing and I have been enjoying it and that has shown on the park.
“The games are tapering off after New Year and we will get Saturday to Saturday. We will get rest and recovery.
“We have had the mid-week games and the Champions League games and the constant pressure on us to perform at that level and we want to maintain that level of performance for as long as possible."
Brown made himself available again for Scotland in a bid to ease the mounting pressure on Strachan, who signed him for Celtic in 2007 and made him captain of the national team, last month.
Asked when he will make his decision on his international future, he said: “Before the squad. I have told Gordon that we will speak after January.”
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