Boss tells Brown to take a break

BRENDAN RODGERS last night revealed that he has ordered Scott Brown to take a fortnight’s holiday after the midfielder captained Celtic to their comprehensive 5-1 win at Ibrox.

The skipper was freed to play in yesterday’s match after his red card for fouling Ross County’s Liam Boyce was downgraded to a booking, but he still incurred a suspension for crossing the disciplinary threshold and is banned for the club’s next two league fixtures.

Rodgers wants Brown fresh for the Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen on May 27 and is also mindful of Scotland’s World Cup qualifier against England on June 10 — just a fortnight before the 31-year-old is due to report back for pre-season training ahead of the Champions League qualifiers.

‘Scott has done his job today and now he will go away and recover ahead of the final part of the season,’ said Rodgers. ‘I’m not sure he wants to go away but I’ve told him to take his wife and get a break from it. He misses the next two games, against St Johnstone and Aberdeen, and then we play Partick Thistle, so he will be back for that game.’

Having controlled the match in last week’s Scottish Cup semifinal victory over Rangers, Brown was outstanding again yesterday.

Rodgers added: ‘I’ve said before Scott is a top player, a real leader of the team and tactically very strong. He’s a real catalyst for us.

‘But throughout, it’s one team with one brain and he is obviously a critical hub within that.’