BRENDAN Rodgers last night revealed Scott Brown is a major doubt for the Europa League match against RB Leipzig in German on Thursday after the Celtic captain limped off against Hibernian.
Brown returned from three weeks out with a hamstring injury yesterday, but only lasted 21 minutes in a Ladbrokes Premiership game at Parkhead which the Scottish champions won 4-2 to move into second spot in the table.
Rodgers was unsure if it was the same issue which has kept the midfielder out previously – he will be assessed by Celtic medical staff in the coming days to determine the problem – but admitted he was in danger of missing the Group B game in the Red Bull Arena.
Asked if Brown was in danger of missing the Leipzig game, he said: "I'd think so. It looked a sore one when he was coming off, so I just have to wait and see on that. You know what he's like, he's a warrior and will do everything he can to be there.
“We won’t know until a couple of days. He looked like he was struggling. You what he’s like, he wants to play on. He wasn’t going to do himself or the team any favours, he was struggling to get about the pitch.
“We’ll see how he is in a couple of days’ time. I don’t know if it’s the same injury. He thought it was maybe his calf and he then maybe his knee. We’ll just have to wait and see.”
Elsewhere, Rodgers confirmed that Leigh Griffiths, who missed yesterday’s match due to a calf injury and illness, is also a doubt for the Leipzig game.
"He got injured early on in the week staying back to get fit and he's been ill the last three days so we're hoping both can be cleared up for some point this week, but we just have to wait and see,” he said.
Callum McGregor took over from Brown in the centre of the park – as he had in the 6-0 triumph against St. Johnstone earlier this month - after his skipper left the field and acquitted himself well.
Rodgers is confident the versatile Scotland midfielder will be able to cope in the position against the second top team in the Bundesliga if his team mate fails to recover in time.
"He was brilliant,” he said. “There's only problem when you move Callum McGregor, you want Callum McGregor to be in the other position.
“He's absolutely tactically brilliant. He played three positions today. His brain is of top-level performer. Tactically, he's such a special player to work and he's got this unique quality for up here in Scotland, he keeps the ball, which at the top level you have to be able to do. He keeps the speed of the game going for us.”
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