Celtic must do without Scott Brown for Ajax clash

Ronny Deila insists a decimated midfield has not left him fearful ahead of Celtic’s crunch Europa League clash with Ajax at Parkhead.

Deila revealed that captain Scott Brown could be out for up to three months with a knee injury picked up against Kilmarnock at the weekend.

Kris Commons is still likely to be out with a combination of illness and a hamstring injury, while fellow midfielders Nir Bitton and Stefan Johansen are suspended. Defeat in the game would end any hope of progressing from Group A.

On a more positive note, Charlie Mulgrew is back in contention after recovering from a thigh injury, but he has not played since September.

“Scott Brown is out for a while,” Deila said. “We don’t know for sure yet but I heard it’s eight to 12 weeks.

“It is nothing to do with the previous one. It was very unfortunate in a challenge near the end of the game.”

After back-to-back defeats at the hands of Norwegian surprise package Molde, Celtic sit bottom of Group A with two points from four matches, while opponents Ajax are one point ahead.

Molde have qualified with 10 points and play Turkish giants Fenerbahce, who are second with five points.

While a draw could still see Celtic get through, wins against the Dutch side and Fenerbahce in their final two games will take them into the knockout stages.