HJK Helsinki vs Celtic preview - Lennon waiting on Brown and Forrest

Posted Wednesday, August 08, 2012 by PA

Neil Lennon will give skipper Scott Brown and winger James Forrest every chance to make the second leg of Celtic's Champions League third qualifying round against HJK Helsinki in Finland on Wednesday night.

The Scottish champions are looking to defend their 2-1 lead from the first game at Parkhead last week.

Brown's hip injury kept him out of the 1-0 Clydesdale Bank Premier League win over Aberdeen at the weekend, while Forrest also missed the league's curtain raiser and is battling to recover from a groin injury.

Forward Georgios Samaras has shrugged off the effects of a face injury sustained against the Dons while defender Charlie Mulgrew returns from suspension.

At the press conference in Helsinki, the Celtic boss was confident of Brown making it but said: "Georgios will be fine. We will see how James and Scott are.

"They are still a little bit stiff and sore. We are giving them as much time as we can, and maybe even give them until Wednesday afternoon."

Lennon Helsinki's artificial pitch will give the Finnish team an edge - but will not use it as an excuse should his side come unstuck.

Celtic keeper Fraser Forster joked last week that diving about on artificial surfaces as a youngster was like "playing on a car park".

"I think it is an advantage to any team used to playing on it," said Lennon.

"We very rarely use artificial surfaces, if at all.

"So it will definitely give them some sort of an advantage but we can't use that as an excuse.

"We will have a look at the pitch and think about the team selection for the game.

"But we will go into the game with a positive frame of mind."