Celtic’s Moussa Dembele praises Scott Brown influence

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Celtic have the luxury of recalling Scott Brown to their first XI for the trip to Russia this week.

Moussa Dembele has suggested that Celtic captain Scott Brown has a big role to play in the Hoops’ visit to Zenit St Petersburg on Thursday.

Brendan Rodgers’s side go to Russia knowing that a draw would see them qualify for the last 16 of the Europa League after last week’s 1-0 win at Parkhead.

But Celtic go into the contest on the back of a disappointing 0-0 draw with St Johnstone, in a result which saw Rangers reduce the deficit to nine points from their bitter Old Firm rivals and reignite the debate over whether the Ibrox side can pull off a miraculous title win against the odds.

Brown, a £4.4 million signing in 2007, missed the visit of the Saints through a one-match ban but will return to Rodgers’s first XI in St Petersburg.

And although the French hitman is anticipating a tough game, he believes that the experience of the club’s legendary midfielder can see them through it.

“He is our captain and he knows what we have to do,” said Dembele to The GET. “He is always out there and involved in everything on the pitch but we all know that we have a job to do.

“The reason why I think we have been a successful team is because we work for one another. That is what we will have to do against Zenit this week. It will not be an easy game. It will be another tough 90 minutes but we want to go and put on a performance and see where it takes us.”