SCOTT Brown has declared himself fit for what he believes will be a battle in Belfast against Linfield The Celtic captain has fully recovered after suffering an injury scare against Shamrock Rovers last Saturday and admits he can’t wait for the start of what he hopes is another successful Champions League campaign.
Brown, 32, is gearing up for what will be a hostile atmosphere at Windsor Park, there will be no Celtic fans at the first-leg qualifier against Northern Ireland’s best team, which he believes will have no effect on his team of Invincibles.
He said: “I will be fine. It was just a slight wee problem but it’s nothing to worry about.
“The dressing room is great. It’s always full of life and we are all now looking forward to Friday’s match, especially after scoring nine goals at the weekend.
“It is going to be physical, it’s going to be a battle. They will want to make it a battle because of the way we play football.
“They will want to stop us and close us down early doors.
“But when you look at our squad, we have some great players who can deal with the pressure as they have done in the past.”
And as for walking out at a packed Windsor Park without a single Celtic supporter in the ground for once, the skipper insisted his team-mates will be able to handle the strange situation without any problem.
Brown said: “That’s going to be fine. No problem for us. It’s going to be enjoyable, that’s for sure.”
A year ago, Brown and Celtic were embarrassed by Lincoln Red Imps when the minnows of Gibraltar beat them 1-0 on what was Brendan Rodgers first ever match as manager of the club.
A lot has happened to that team since then, almost all of it good, which is why Brown has little fear about another shock taking place.
Rodgers has added some players but this is largely a squad of players who know each other and will expect to go through.
Brown said: “That game is always in the back of your mind. However, everyone is in better condition now than 12 months ago.
“We look sharper, we scored nine goals as well which shows you we are finding our feet and finding them quickly.
“We want to play in big games under the lights. Our aim this season is to get the Champions League.
“It was a great experience last season, especially as it was the gaffer’s first season.
“We have come back into it. There is a fresh feeling among the lads, there is a couple of new faces coming in as well so here is hoping we can push a bit further.”
Kyle Jameson, an 18-year-old defender from Chelsea, will spend two weeks with Celtic.
If he can impress Rodgers then a season-long loan deal could be offered to him by the end of his trial period.
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