Rodgers: Dembele could face Dons in cup final

Celtic: Brown boost for Hoops as SFA overturn Boyce tackle ban

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has not ruled Moussa Dembele out of the Scottish Cup final against Aberdeen.

The French forward pulled up in the first half of the 2-0 semi-final win against Rangers on Sunday with a hamstring injury.

It was believed that the 20-year-old would play no further part in Celtic’s season but the Hoops manager claimed he still “has a chance” of facing the Dons at Hampden on May 27.

“He will be out for the foreseeable future,” added Rodgers ahead of the Premiership contest with Rangers at Ibrox tomorrow. He had his scan on his hamstring. We will monitor him and assess it over time and see how he reacts. There is a period of time with individuals with hamstrings which is never to say that he can’t be back within that. He was on a bike today and moving the hamstring, so we will see. It is a hamstring tear, not overly serious, but we will assess it.”

Meanwhile, Celtic captain Scott Brown’s Ross County red card has been downgraded to a yellow on appeal which frees him to play against Rangers tomorrow. The Hoops midfielder was sent off against the Staggies on April 16 for a foul on attacker Liam Boyce during the 2-2 Premiership draw at Dingwall. Brown’s appeal allowed him to play in the 2-0 Scottish Cup semi-final win against the Light Blues at Hampden on Sunday.

After a Scottish FA disciplinary tribunal met at Hampden yesterday to consider his claim of wrongful dismissal, the appeal was upheld with the sending-off reduced to a caution. Brown will play in the Old Firm derby at Ibrox but the yellow card takes him over the disciplinary threshold which triggers a two-game suspension which means he will sit out the subsequent matches against St Johnstone and Aberdeen.

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