CELTIC midfielders Stuart Armstrong and Scott Brown will miss Scotland’s World Cup qualifying deciders.

Hoops boss Brendan Rodgers confirmed yesterday that the pair would not recover from injury in time to face Slovakia and Slovenia next month.

Brown limped off against Anderlecht on Wednesday with a tight hamstring while Armstrong sat out the Champions League game.

Speaking a day ahead of Celtic’s Ladbrokes Premiership encounter with Hibernian, Rodgers said: “Scott has had a scan so him and Stuart Armstrong will not be available for a few weeks.

The news is a major blow to Scotland boss Gordon Strachan, whose decision to build his team around Rodgers’ successful side has helped rejuvenate the country’s hopes of reaching next summer’s finals in Russia.

Scotland go into their final two games knowing that victory in each would secure second spot and a potential play-off place.