BRENDAN RODGERS has backed skipper Scott Brown to lead Celtic to victory over Lincoln Red Imps on Wednesday.
The skipper came in for some criticism after the shock 1-0 loss in the first leg of the Champions League qualifier in Gibraltar last week.
But Rodgers insisted Brown was back to his best in the 2-1 friendly win over German giants Wolfsburg yesterday and believes he can inspire the Hoops at Parkhead in midweek.
He insisted: “Scott was outstanding. His intelligence, his aggression, the way he really manages the team on the field has been very impressive.
“I was really happy with the midfield against Wolfsburg. You saw how dynamic they were in the first-half.”
Rodgers also revealed Stefan Johansen could recover from injury for Wednesday’s clash.
He said: “Stefan should be able to train on Monday. The diagnosis at the time was two to three weeks, but he’s had an injection which has apparently settled it down.”
Rodgers also came in for stick after claiming the loss in Gibraltar was not an embarrassment for the five-in-a-row champions.
But yesterday he said: “I was not being arrogant or anything after the first game. The objective for me was always to come through Wednesday night into the next round.”
