Celtic captain Scott Brown is feeling confident that he will be fit enough to turn out for the Hoops in their Champions League qualifying clash with Linfield, according to the Scottish Sun.
The newspaper claim on their website that the club captain has visited a specialist over an ankle injury picked up in the club’s friendly with Shamrock Rovers, with his achilles the issue, but is said to feel as though he will have recovered in time for Friday’s clash.
The 32-year-old limped off against the Republic of Ireland side after just over half an hour, as Brendan Rodgers saw his squad demolish their opposition 9-0 as part of their pre-season preparation.
Brown threatened to be the second big name to be missing from the side through injury, after Dedryck Boyata was ruled out of action for up to three months due to knee ligament damage.
His presence will be a huge boost to Rodgers and his side, with Brown set to keep a hold of the captain’s armband and lead his side to what Hoops fans will be a comfortable victory.
However, they need not look far to know the dangers of complacency, with local rivals Rangers suffering a humiliating defeat to Luxembourg minnows Progres Niederkorn in their Europa League qualifier.
In Brown, the fans know have a player who is always fully committed and will drive his team on with his leadership qualities and all action performances.
He is an important character both on the pitch and in the dressing room and has made 416 appearances for the Hoops since arriving at Parkhead back in 2007.