We might not be seeing much of him from now on. SCOTT Brownâs degenerative hip problem may result in the Celtic captain being considered only for Champions League matches, his manager Neil Lennon has revealed. Brown, who will miss Scotlandâs World Cup qualifying double header because of the condition, needed an injection to play as Celtic beat Helsingborgs on Wednesday to qualify for the Champions League group stage. The player might not be seen again until Celtic host Benfica on 19 September. And Lennon is concerned the 27-year-old could be lost to the club even for European games such is the extent of the hip problem. âI donât want him to miss Scotland games and he doesnât either,â said Lennon. âBut it might even come to the point where he has to miss European games if he has a reaction, is in too much pain to play, or we have to shut him down for a concerted period of time. The fact it is degenerative means he will eventually need a prolonged rest but we donât want to do that so early in the season. So, if we can just nurse him along, rest him here and there, he might just cope with that.â MEMORIES of Benficaâs last Champions League visit to Celtic Park are sure to remain vivid for Scott Brown. The Portuguese side, who will provide the opposition when Celtic open up their group stage campaign at home in little over a fortnight, left the field in November 2007 to a cacophony of boos. Brown, for his part, was simply relieved to be able to depart on two feet. The midfielder, who had joined in a £4.4 million deal from Hibernian that summer, was the victim of an appalling assault five minutes from time. His halving brought a red-card for perpetrator Gilles Binya, who was subsequently banned for six matches. After a hush replaced celebrations of the impending 1-0 victory, Brown hauled himself up and continued to buzz around as manically as he had before. The then 22-year-old seemed indestructable. Five years on, the now Celtic captain appears vulnerable. So much so that his manager Neil Lennon has confessed the club will need to ânurseâ an increasingly influential performer through a degenerative hip problem to have any hope of deploying him in the Group G fixtures against Barcelona, Spartak Moscow and the Lisbon side. Brownâs presence in these encounters wonât be craved by supporters in the same way they will be desperate for latest arrivals, in the form of Nigerian defender Efe Ambrose and Venezuelan striker Miku, to be accommodated. Neither is the midfielder a matchwinner in the mould of James Forrest, Kris Commons, Gary Hooper or Georgios Samaras. Yet, there is a growing appreciation of his importance to his team and his re-invention as a seasoned campaigner and sensible performer. That is evidenced in no small part by the clubâs willingness to go to extreme measures in order to ensure his chronic hip problem does not count him out. The player has been, and will be it seems, patched up only for European encounters this season. Celtic have proved far more adept on the continent than domestically for reasons beyond that. Yet the considered and composed contributions of Brown, once dismissed as no more than bulldog terrier on speed, must be a factor. Lennon is in no doubt about Brownâs worth. The Irishman watched the midfelder assume the mantle demanded by the armband he sports as Helsingborgs were removed from Celticâs path to the Champions League in convincing fashion on Wednesday night. Brownâs efforts were all the more commendable because he is suffering acutely with his hip complaint. âHe saw a specialist and, although the problem hasnât deteriorated, he was in a lot of pain [on] Monday and Tuesday,â said the manager. âUnder the circumstances he had a great game. He was a real driving force for the team. Heâs really matured. A lot of the earlier stuff, the gallussness, has gone, and you have to say with his discipline on the field heâs really blossomed into his role of captain.â Yet, it might mean too much to Brown to be the leader on the field. It was put to Lennon that he might be facing a Ledley King situation with the 27-year-old Scot. King, famously, practically never trained in his final years at Tottenham Hotspur because of a wrecked knee, and his game-time was rationed as a result. The Celtic manager said he didnât think the Brown situation is âas serious as that scenarioâ but cautioned that it is up to his captain to prevent it becoming so. âWe have to manage him, maybe train him once or twice a week,â Lennon said. âHe has to be honest with us, though. He has to say âIâm a bit stiff todayâ or âIâm a bit soreâ. He felt a bit sore on Tuesday after training on Monday, but he trained anyway when he should have been saying âCan I leave it today?â âThat makes it worse sometimes. But he likes to train and be out there burning off energy so weâre going to have to temper that now. You just hope this situation settles down eventually. The fact itâs degenerative means eventually heâll need a prolonged rest, but we donât want to do that so early in the season. So if we can just manage him along and nurse him, rest him here and there, he might cope with that.â Brownâs participation in the Champions League may represent a risk for Celtic. The club were not prepared to take the risk of contesting the group stages without their most saleable midfield asset, however. It is believed that Victor Wanyama may have been amenable to a switch to the English Premier League before the window closed. The Kenyan midfielder is understood to have been the subject of a near £6m bid by Queens Park Rangers. His late goal in the 2-0 victory over Helsingborgs helped make certain that offer would not be entertained by the Scottish champions. The 21-year-old maintains his focus is only on what lies ahead for Celtic in Group G. âI came here for one reason and the reason was to play in the Champions League,â Wanyama said. âI am looking forward to the Champions League and I donât think about leaving just now. We are playing in the Champions League against the big clubs of Europe.â The player said he just heard âfrom other peopleâ about QPRâs interest and denied he was disappointed it was rebuffed, as has been reported in certain press outlets. âNo, no. I am just happy and looking forward to the Champions League,â he stated in response to this suggestion. Lennon is believed to have let him know in no uncertain terms he would be retained for the duration of the season. âThe manager is happy and I am happy here,â Wanyama said of reports he took him aside to tell him to forget about a transfer. âHe has been talking to me but I was not even thinking of leaving. The only chance I wanted was to play in the Champions League.â Achieving that objective is something his captain Brown will require to take a chance on. http://m.scotsman.com/sport/football...blem-1-2502043
Bad news... Brown's important to the team/shape! Need to get Kayal and Ledley fully fit to play in the middle with Vic... these 3 are vitally important for Europe - especially Ledley n Wanyama
That is bad news. Hopefully they will find a fix and get him back on a regular basis, we need him in the team.
Bad news for the team but brutal news for Scott. This could make life awful for him when he's older. Hope he gets the proper advice.
that would be a real shame,gives his all every time he pulls on the hoops.all i have ever asked of a tic player.
Sod the game, if it's going to do him long term harm. Problem is that Broony isn't one to let things stop him. Hope he listens to advice and doesn't put himself in harm's way.
2 points ... Surely if it is that serious he should retire as his health is obviously more important. But " saved for European games"... Really?? Is he that good a player for Celtic ?
1. Yes, if the prognosis is that bad, then yes he should retire. B. He is very important as a captain and leader and to the way in which I would envisage the team is set up in Europe.
If he only trains once a week and is not match sharp going into these important games what's the point? I hope they are spinning the quotes to appear more serious than what it actually is.
What type of club do you think Celtic are ? Of course, he will get the proper advice. I believe Maltese Mick as I think Celtic don't want this story coming out in bits and pieces for most of the season. Better to get the worse out immediately, and be prepared for whatever story the media build. I thought he passed the ball on at the end of the match on Wednesday night as he was afraid of it hurting more or damaging himself. Of course we all wish him the best and hope a permanent solution can be found which gives him a life without pain.
Agree. His long term health is more important. Both Jock Stein and Bobby Murdoch walked with limps after their playing career ended, due to lack of medical advancements at the time.