Watch Livingston vs Celtic live on Sky Sports Football on Wednesday with kick-off at 8.15pm; Brown and Christie have missed Celtic's last two Premiership matches - home draws to Hibernian and Livingston - through self-isolation but return along with 11 other players after the trip to Dubai
Tuesday 19 January 2021 17:30, UK
Scott Brown and Ryan Christie admit self-isolation has been hard but both feel Celtic are ready to bounce back from their coronavirus outbreak after the club's controversial trip to Dubai.
Brown and Christie, along with 11 other players, boss Neil Lennon and his assistant John Kennedy were all forced to isolate after Christopher Jullien tested positive for Covid-19 - and they all subsequently missed Celtic's last two Scottish Premiership games - home draws to Hibernian and Livingston, as the champions lost more ground on Rangers.
However, 14 of the 15 self-isolating players and staff are set to return for Wednesday's trip to Livi - live on Sky Sports Football - and captain Brown feels the side are getting back to their best as they look to return to winning ways.
"Isolation was hard, to be fair," Brown said. "Seeing the lads playing and everyone not being able to help was hard.
"It's what we had to do and we're back in now, had a good couple of days training and getting ready for the game against Livi on Wednesday."
His team-mate Christie, meanwhile, told Sky Sports: "It was difficult again, [this time] with it hitting the news and having to isolate. It was very frustrating, it takes a couple days to get your head around it.
"The first time was hard enough, the second time was really challenging. Once again we've come out the other side and want to get back to football now.
"You've got to keep yourself ticking over. It was the same back in the middle of last year with the massive lockdown, the club did well to send us out training programmes and stuff.
"I had an exercise bike in the house, I was on that. You try to pick up little hobbies and things to pass the time."
Brown feels Celtic are still "a fantastic team" whose title hopes are not over, despite being 21 points behind Old Firm rivals Rangers with three games in hand.
Asked about the drop in standards from recent seasons, in which Celtic won an unprecedented quadruple domestic treble, the 35-year-old added: "I don't think I can put my finger on it but we haven't performed as well as we possibly could have.
"It has all been the same training, pretty much the same players as well, we have just not done as well as we possibly could have, as I said. But we are still there, we are still working extremely hard every day, whether it is at Lennoxtown or wherever we are and that's what we do.
"We still believe that we are a fantastic team but we need to make sure we keep showing it in games.
"We are obviously not in the best position but we have got three games in hand, we need to make sure we win these games.
"We need to hit top form now and keep believing as well because we always have got the faith and that positivity.
"We know that we can keep winning games and that's what we have to do to try and put the pressure on our rivals."
Christie feels the 21-point gap between Rangers and Celtic takes the pressure off Lennon's side.
"At a big club like Celtic, when things sometimes aren't going right, there are so many people who want to jump on you and make it 10 times worse," Christie said.
"The only way you can answer back as a squad, and as individuals, is play well and win games. That's what we'll be looking to do.
"I think the gap [between Rangers and Celtic] takes the pressure off a bit. All we can do now is attack every game with full momentum, try and win three points then the rest of the pressure is on Rangers to keep up that gap.
"Going into the Rangers game, we were in a great run of form. We'd found a flow. But it came to a frustrating end. We're looking to bounce back and get that flow back."
Asked if a 10th successive title was still achievable, Brown said: "I don't see why not. We believe it is but we need to make sure we win every game and it starts tomorrow."
Brown's place in the midfield is no longer guaranteed, however, with 22-year-old Ivorian Ismaila Soro staking his claim in recent months.
Brown added: "It is fine. Soro has done fantastic and he is a great lad. I have played 60 games for the last 14/15 seasons at this club and I have enjoyed every single moment of it.
"Soro has been fantastic, he has bid his time really well and since he came in he has taken his chance.
"For me it is about trying to help Soro out as much as I can because he is still young, he is extremely keen, he is quick over the ground, and I am not as quick any more to be perfectly honest.
"I am here for the gaffer whenever he needs me. I am here for the lads, to help them in any way whatsoever.
"This football club is not about me, it is about putting the best team on the park whether it is Livingston at home or Rangers away, we need to concentrate on that and not worry about whether I am playing week in, week out."
