Brown and Lustig with international and Champions League conflicts

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A year ago you and I discussed Scott Brown’s fitness with some concern for the season ahead. Since then the captain has not skipped a beat, his form and availability for selection have been without question.

It is clear he can cope with a Scotland game this weekend, and no doubt finish the season untroubled, but Scotland have an international against England on 10 June, two weeks after the Scottish Cup final, and four weeks before Celtic’s Champions League qualification campaign gets underway.

If Scott is to participate in all games, he will have a week off after the Scottish Cup final before being called into the Scotland squad, then two weeks before Celtic’s preseason training starts. For a player of his age, with his injury profile, this schedule would not allow sufficient recuperation ahead of a new season.

Selfishly, the most important thing to you and I, and to Celtic, is Champions League qualification, more so than the Scottish Cup, or than a season of invincibility, delightful, though both would be. What Brendan Rodgers backroom team need to do is prepare Scott as thoroughly as possible for the middle of July. Planning should start now.

If there’s another player in the Celtic squad who I would also like to ration his football it’s Mikael Lustig. The Sweden international is likely to be involved in both their international squad in June; a World Cup qualifier against France and a derby against Norway.

If Scotland fail to get a positive result against Slovenia on Sunday, Scott might consider it best to retire from the international stage, again. He and Mikael could do with a few weeks on the beach at the end of the season.


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848 Comments

  1. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    67HEAVEN .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I AM WEE OSCAR…… IPOX BELONGS TO THE CREDITORS on 26TH MARCH 2017 8:29 PM

     

     

     

    For Scotland he does.

  2. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    Robertson’s a good wee player …..

  3. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    Ssssshhhhhh ….. keep quiet about Armstrong … hahahahahahaha

  4. HT 0-0. Scotland better team, many more chances. Armstrong head and shoulders above the rest, Robertson also playing well. KT defensively sound at right back, not venturing forward much.

  5. Quite a few Sevco fans dressed as seats there tonight, team playing reasonably well – so far H H Hebcelt

  6. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    With a few games behind him, Leigh would have scored both those chances

  7. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    HEBCELT

     

     

    Hahahahahahaha …. brilliant …!!!!

  8. F*#k Scotland.

     

    The best we bigoted country on the planet.

     

    How many Scottish commentators jumped for joy when Lee missed?

     

    Remember when McCoist sclaffed a winner from a yard out against Switzerland in a qualifier.

     

    Scottish media were fawning about his brilliance till an English commentator pointed out that he should have been subbed before that as he had missed 3 absolute sitters.

     

    I’m sure the mssm have their anti Celtic players copy written if they fail to win.

  9. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Thought Armstrong was invisible for most of the game so far

  10. GARY67

     

     

    Have to agree with you on all of that. Just like watching us at home in Europe?

     

    Just a bit short of the ability to turn aggression into goals. Tierney is learning that position on the job which just shows how good he is. Slovenia are bigger and stronger all over the pitch and I feel that will tell later on, our lhads will need the full weeks rest for more of the same at Tynecastle on Sunday.

     

    I am just hopeful we incur no injuries and the lhads continue to impress.

     

    Logging off now, Mrs wants to watch Call of Duty and the Sky mob are doing my brains in. HH

  11. Leigh my bhoy what was the point in coming out for the second half? Gordon why did you let him? H h Hebcelt

  12. In a must win game when your striker goes off injured why would you bring on an attacking midfielder instead of a goalscorer on? Surely Rhodes should have come on for Griff?

  13. Gary67 take your point but Rhodes was pretty unimpressive against Canada while Naismith at least scored. H H Hebcelt

  14. HEBCELT

     

    Didn’t see Canada game, thankfully, just thought as he’s the only striker we have playing regularly and scoring occasionally he might have been a option. Naismith is generally quite good for Scotland but better playing wide of or behind striker

  15. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    FAN-A-TIC on 26TH MARCH 2017 8:39 PM

     

     

    Correct ….fully agree with every word

  16. 67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar...... Ipox belongs to the creditors on

    That Snodgrass is a great crosser of the ball ….

  17. Good experience for KT to be playing opposite side.

     

    On the build up to the game.Who in the SFA thought a 7.45 kick off on a Sunday night was a good idea?.Look at the crowd.Utterly shambolic.The National Anthem !!!!!!.They have continually made an @rse of it,but tonight took the biscuit.Bagpipes starting off around 10 octaves higher than the crowd.Sounded like cats being neutered.A small thing,but nothing this corrupt mob do is right.