So, rumours of Scott Brown’s demise have been greatly exaggerated then.

In a domestic sense the absence of Brown from Celtic’s midfield had seemed, at some level, to work in favour of the Parkhead side; the tempo increased, the goals flooded in, the energy levels seemed to rise with the legs of Ryan Christie and Callum McGregor offering a vibrancy to the aggression of Celtic’s play.

But as Brendan Rodgers’ side found themselves overrun on Thursday night against the quality of Salzburg, it did not take long for the murmur to go round the stadium to get Brown on, to revert to the tried and tested experience and influence of the long standing Celtic captain. As the game went on it seemed increasingly inevitable that Brown would be called into the fray to solidify things in the central pastures.

And as Celtic head to Easter Road on Sunday afternoon it seems likely that the Parkhead captain will be restored to his position as the lynchpin at the heart of Rodgers’ midfield.

“The team has been in great form so it has been difficult for him to get in,” said Rodgers. “It does not take away what he gives the team, and the qualities and what he shows for me everyday. I know his qualities and what he brings. It’s the reason we needed him at half time.”

Whether his influence remains as prescient in the long-term future is less clear. With Brown out of contract and A-League newcomers Western Melbourne keen on offering the midfielder a three-year deal it could be that there is a decision on the former Scotland captain’s part to play out the latter years of his career in the sun.

In any case, Rodgers believes that Brown deserves the opportunity to take his time as he deliberates over the next step.

“I have said it before that Scott will be afforded time in terms of making a decision about what he wants to do going forward,” said Rodgers. “And he deserves that time. So of course very much we want him to be here. But he has to at this period of his life and his career to be able to assess the options he has.

“He will be 34 at the end of this year… for some players, they can pick up a two or three year deal at that stage on big money and have an adventure for your family, you certainly have to look at it and weigh it up. He has been an incredible servant for the club. But I think he has earned that time to make his choice.

“I have spelt out to him how important he is here but I have also given him an unbiased look at it. Football is a very short career. I said the same thing to Craig Gordon. We sat down and had a look when Chelsea were keen to take him for good money on offer. ‘OK, this is what you could get at Chelsea, this is what you have here…’

“ They are old enough these guys to make their own decisions but I can speak to them openly and from both sides really.”

Celtic will discover on Monday who awaits in the next round of the Europa League in the New Year but the identity of their next Continental opponent matters less than the fact that they are in the hat.

Having taken 9 points from Group B it is unfair to label Celtic lucky for their passage into the knockout stages, albeit that there was a hugely fortuitous element in their journey. However, what ought not to be overlooked is the fact that for the first time in all of their 15 Champions and Europa League campaigns that Celtic have gone beyond Christmas at the expense of a team from one of the top five leagues.

“We can be better of course, but over six games we’ve finished second which I’m so happy about,” said Rodgers. “There would be no good in us playing well against Salzburg and not getting through.

“We earned the right by beating Leipzig and Rosenborg twice. We finish with nine points so...it’s a great achievement for the players.”

If Odsonne Edouard looked somewhat overwhelmed by the occasion on Thursday night, Rodgers has no qualms about the striker’s potential to belong at such a level. The timing of Moussa Dembele’s departure from the club meant there was never going to be a chance of Celtic replacing him and the illness of Leigh Griffiths has left Edouard carrying the lion’s share of the striking burden.

At 20 and with a £9m pricetag around his neck there is a suspicion that the Frenchman needs a partner to alleviate some of that pressure but Rodgers is comfortable with the expectations around Edouard.

“The kid has been questioned since day one since he came in,” he said. “But just look at his goals record and assists and his starts. He is young, he is 20, he is still improving and developing. But he is a brilliant talent and he has performed in a lot of big games for us. So he is just getting his rhythm, playing a lot of big games.

“Ideally we would want to be able to give him a breather and change from one up, but we don’t have the squad to do that unfortunately. He is a very good team player, that’s what is important. He is not a player who is self interested. He is worried about the team and that’s all that worries me. He wants to develop and get better.”