IT has taken seven weeks for the previously unthinkable to become the probable.

On October 20th, Scott Brown tweaked his hamstring in Celtic’s home match against Hibernian and hobbled off in the first half.

The following Thursday saw Celtic in eastern Germany to play RB Leipzig without their captain. They lost 2-0. Brown was missed.

No press conference with Brendan Rodgers went by for long without a question being asked re a medical update on the team’s most influential player.

The thinking was that Celtic without Brown was nowhere close to being the same threat. Things have changed.

Brown, and this is with every respect to a fantastic Celt, probably won’t be needed this Thursday for what is a huge match, one of the biggest this season, when Red Bull Salzburg come to Glasgow.

Since he got injured, his team have recorded eight wins, two draws, lots of goals, exhilarating football, a second spot at in their Europa League group and now top of the league with a game in hand and a few points to spare. Plus the first trophy of the season.

Brown has come back into the squad but all of this has, more or less, been won without the player of the year, the club’s longest serving man and rock of Rodger’s Celtic.

Before he got injured, and I said as much in this column, I would have had Brown in my team for every big game. So, too, would the manager.

But I don’t think Brown will start against Salzburg on Thursday night, a game he was born to play in.

Had you asked me in October, I would have said that Rodgers would trust his captain even at 70 per cent for such a big night. A point for Celtic against Red Bull Salzburg, who of course have already won the group, keeps the club in European football until after Christmas for the second year in a row. It’s going to be a massive test.

However, I believe Brown, and Olivier Ntcham as well, will have to make do by being substitutes.

And I am sure Brown will be fine with that.

He is the ultimate professional and has as close a relationship with his manager than a captain at any club could wish for. He knows that at 33 he can’t play every game, although I’m sure he would want to.

And he’s wise enough to realise that Celtic are playing stylish winning football. The players who have started are in superb form, at the back and in terms of scoring goals.

For me, Rodgers won’t change the team for Salzburg – Kieran Tierney will obviously come back in - and I agree.

Brown will have plenty more big games for Celtic; however, right now I believe the manager will stick.

Salzburg are a good team. Five wins from five tells you that. But they are through and while I’ve read their manager saying that he won’t make any changes, I’m sure that he will. It’s the perfect chance for him to do so.

They will still be strong, but will they remain strong enough, and focussed enough, to beat Celtic in front of 60,000 at Paradise? I honestly don’t think so.

Celtic will and should go for the win. They need to play in the Salzburg half, get Tom Rogic working in that gap where he always seems to find space, get the ball wide for Scott Sinclair and James Forrest, with Ryan Christie continuing to do what has in recent times.

And with Callum McGregor sitting that bit deeper, and what a season this lad is having, I am really confident Celtic will take at least a point which would be good enough.

I loved the Leipzig game. I came away from that thinking ‘that was like my days.’ The Park was jumping, we beat a big team and you couldn’t take your eyes from the action.

More of that please on Thursday.

If Celtic can still in European competition come 2019, that would be a huge achievement given they started that campaign in the very first round.

And I think we will win.

I’m confident that a Celtic team playing so well, so full of confidence will deal with the Austrians.

Getting back to Brown; he is a wonderful leader, but won’t be needed for this game, at least not ion the starting eleven.

The lads I’ve mentioned before are good enough to get the job done. Celtic need goals - I’m sure it won’t be a 0-0 - and with Forrest, Christie and European specialist McGregor playing the best football of their careers, they will have enough to get the job done.