Lennon: Brown will be fit for finale

Celtic coach Neil Lennon believes Scott Brown will play a part in the climax to the Clydesdale Bank Premier League title race.

PFA Scotland Player of the Year Brown was substituted in the closing stages of Sunday’s goalless draw at Hibernian.

Gordon’s Strachan’s side were in pole position ahead of the weekend’s fixtures - but the result at East Road means they fell two points behind Rangers.

However, Lennon has allayed fears that Brown needs an ankle operation and might not figure in the final game of the season against Hearts on Sunday.

He explained: “Scott should be okay for the weekend but he won’t do a lot this week.

“He’s had an ongoing ankle problem which he had been getting through okay - but he struggled a bit in the last 20 minutes on Sunday.

“It wasn’t his day but hopefully after a week’s rest he should be okay.

“I wouldn’t have thought it would go as far as an operation – but he needs a rest.”

Strachan’s men are waiting for an Ibrox slip-up and Lennon is predicting the battle of the Old Firm will go the distance.

Former Parkhead midfielder Lennon, now first-team coach explained: “Anything can happen.

“We are going to make sure it goes to the wire. The disappointing thing is it’s out of our hands – but it’s game on.”

Captain Gary Caldwell added: “It’s a horrible position to be in but we have to do our own job.

“We must go out and play the same way as we did at Hibs and take our chances. Performance-wise you couldn’t fault us.

“We didn’t just throw the ball into the box, we tried to break them down – but we didn’t do that for all our efforts.”