Celtic captain Scott Brown admits he is disappointed not to be able to face Joey Barton this Sunday when his side take on Rangers in the Scottish League Cup semi-final.
Barton stirred the pot before the start of the season and quipped that Brown is not good enough to be at his level, which infuriated the Celtic faithful even before the campaign started.
While a few Celtic players responded, Brown kept his counsel and let his feet do the talking when he gave a commanding midfield performance in his side’s 5-1 thrashing of Rangers last month.
Since the defeat, Barton has fallen out with his team-mates and manager Mark Warburton and has been serving a suspension, with many believing the midfielder has no path back to playing for the Gers again.
Barton will be sitting at home when Rangers take on Celtic for a place in the Scottish League Cup final and Brown said, in a tongue-in-cheek manner, that he will miss coming up against the former Newcastle man.
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When asked if he is disappointed not to be facing Barton on Sunday, the Celtic captain laughed in a press conference and said: "Yes."
Brown and his team-mates will be hoping to make amends for losing the Scottish Cup semi-final last season to Rangers with a win on Sunday at Hampden.
