Saturday 13 September 2014 22:39, UK
Celtic manager Ronny Deila hopes captain Scott Brown will make his first Scottish Premiership appearance of the season against Aberdeen on Saturday.
The midfielder has resumed training after he injured a hamstring in a pre-season friendly against Rapid Vienna.
Deila revealed his delight at having the Scotland international back in the fold and said his return has given the entire squad a boost.
"He is training well so he could maybe play on Saturday," said Deila. "We will see.
“Everybody knows how important Brown is for Celtic. He is the leader, a person who demands things and shows the way.
“He is going to be a huge player to get back on the pitch. He is very happy and has had fantastic training today.”
Deila also praised Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk for his attitude after the club blocked a potential move to the Premier League during the transfer window.
"He was fantastic in training today," said Deila. "He is smiling. It is no problem.
"We speak all the time. People can wish for things but if you don't get your wishes sometimes you know how lucky you are to be in the situation you are in.
"He spoke about taking a new step in his career and thought that it was important but he also understands the situation at the club.
"He is at a very big club and he has opportunities to achieve here. I don't think that he needs to leave to play in the national team.
"He is one of the best players I have seen when he is at the top of his game. He just needs to be consistent and if he does that with Celtic I can't understand why he can't be picked for the national squad."
Watch Celtic take on Aberdeen at Celtic Park live on Sky Sports 4 from 12.30pm this Saturday
