Scott Brown is an injury doubt for Celtic’s Champions League opener next week against KR Reykjavic after lasting just one minute of today’s friendly against Rapid Vienna.
The midfielder pulled up in the first minute of the match and was stretchered off after receiving treatment to his right knee and hamstring on the pitch and replaced by Beram Kayal.
Adding insult to injury the cheating Austrians opened the scoring in the seventh minute through a Virgil van Dijk own goal.
The likely loss of Brown for next week’s trip to Iceland will be a big concern for Deila with the midfielder the most experienced player at the club having been signed by Gordon Strachan for £4.4m in 2006.
Speaking recently about his Celtic career Brown said: “Managers have come and gone and I’ve learned a lot from each and every individual one.
“The boss called me when I was on holiday and that was good. He talked me through what he wanted to do and that the two John’s were coming in and stuff like that.
“He has been good in terms of communication and he wants to go through me to go to the players as well. It’s good that you can talk to him any time you want.”
Looking towards the Champions League qualifiers he added: “Having that experience helps. The night against Karagandy at Celtic Park was up there with anything in my time. It was a great atmosphere and hopefully there’s more of that to come.”
Fraser Forster joined up with the Celtic party today after being on World Cup duty in Iceland.
CELTIC: Zaluska; Lustig, van Dijk, Mulgrew, F Twardzik; Brown, Johansen, Commons; McGeouch, Stokes, Boerrigter
SUBS: Fasan, Matthews, O’Connell, Waters, Findlay, Kayal, McGregor, Pukki, Griffiths, Atajic, Fridjonsson, Balde, Watt, Gordon, Fisher
