Celtic captain Scott Brown insists nobody at the club will be rushing Leigh Griffiths back after he returned to training.

The Hoops confirmed on Wednesday that the Scotland international will begin a “phased return” to his first-team duties as he continues to deal with personal issues.

Griffiths last played for the club in December, but he is due to return at the club’s Lennoxtown training complex.

Celtic boss Neil Lennon insists there is no timescale on his return and Brown admits the players are there to support him as well. “We’re glad for Leigh,” said the Hoops captain.

“We just want to give him a lot of space and let him decide when he needs to come back. “We don’t want to talk about him too much. We just want to make sure he’s OK, he’s happy and back in the place that he loves to be.”

Both Griffiths and Brown missed Scotland duty last week as Alex McLeish’s men were beaten by Kazakhstan before then overcoming San Marino.

Brown has returned to the Scotland fold on a number of occasions, but he has confirmed he will not wear the blue shirt again.

He added: “I’m not coming out of retirement again. I’ve done it once. “It’s always hard. I just wish Scotland all the best. I’m not there now and I would never say a bad word about any of the lads or the management staff. Here’s hoping they can qualify.”

Celtic will take on Rangers in their next Scottish Premiership clash and they are 1.73 to secure all three points on home soil.