Celtic's devastated captain Scott Brown hoping to avoid knee operation 

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Scott Brown has revealed it will be a month before medics decide whether he requires an operation on his injured knee.

The Celtic skipper sat out Thursday night’s defeat by Ajax – the first game in period of recuperation that could see him sidelined for up to three months.

Speaking for the first time about the full extent of the injury sustained in the weekend stalemate with Kilmarnock, the 30-year-old revealed his anguish at realising he’d miss a major chunk of the season – as well as his hopes that surgery can yet be avoided.

Celtic midfielder Scott Brown is set to be out for three months and is hoping to avoid an operation on his knee

‘I was a bit devastated,’ Brown said. ‘When I woke up in the morning, I had a wee feeling it was my ligament.

‘I had hoped it was a wee strain but it was a bit more serious than that.

‘I will be on crutches and my leg will be in a brace for four weeks and then after that I will see how it’s healing.

‘If it’s healing well, I won’t need an operation. If it’s not, I might have to go down the operation route.

‘It’s always hard being injured. Coming back from an injury, playing 90 minutes and then being out for possibly three or four months is difficult, but I’ve had these blows before in my career and I will get over it – I will get through it no problem.

‘Part and parcel of playing football is that you are always going to have injuries. It’s about how you come through them and how you look after your body over the next three or four months.’

Brown is remaining positive despite the setback and insisted he will get though the injury 'no problem'

Brown was in the dugout at Livingston on Wednesday as Celtic’s UEFA Youth League side earned a 3-0 victory over Puskas Akademia to seal a 3-1 aggregate triumph.

Calvin Miller bagged a brace for the Bhoys, with Theo Archibald also on target as the young Celts booked a placed in the last 32 of the prestigious tournament.

And as Brown recovers from injury, he will spend more time honing his coaching skills with the club’s young players under the guidance of Academy Manager Tommy McIntyre.

‘My big focus over the next couple of months will be helping out Tommy as much as he wants in whatever he needs done,’ he added.