OPINION
Brendan Rodgers will have sent Celtic fans jumping for joy with the news that captain Scott Brown and creative spark Tom Rogic are both available for the Europa League clash with Rosenborg on Thursday night.
Brown has been out since mid-October with a knee injury, while Rogic missed Saturday’s comfortable 3-0 victory over Hamilton in the SPL.
Despite his period of absence, it would not be unexpected to see Brown lead the Bhoys out in Norway in mid-week, with his manager placing heavy emphasis on the need for Celtic to come away with all three points. Rosenborg currently lie bottom of the group with no points, while Celtic are behind second-placed RB Leipzig on goal difference alone.
Elsewhere, it is likely to be a similar side to the one that disposed of Hamilton with such ease, although the reintroduction of Brown in a holding role could see Rodgers revert back to the five-man midfield shape that was so effective against RB Leipzig in Celtic’s last Europa outing.
£4.5m signing Olivier Ntcham and Ryan Christie are the men expected to drop out and Christie can consider himself very unlucky after some fine recent form.
James Forrest could be a particularly sharp thorn in the side of the Norwegian league leaders, with the wide-man still revelling in the glow of his recent five-goal international break with Scotland.
