Celtic captain Scott Brown fails with appeal against ban

Celtic captain Scott Brown has lost his appeal against an extended ban in the Champions League.

Uefa imposed an additional two matches on top of an automatic one-game suspension following Brown's red card for a foul on Barcelona's Neymar.

Manager Neil Lennon described the upheld ban as "excessive".

The midfielder, 28, sat out the 2-1 win over Ajax and will also miss the return in Amsterdam next Wednesday and AC Milan's visit to Glasgow.

"I feel the ban is excessive for a misdemeanour, or whatever you want to call it," said Lennon.

"I am sure we had a fair hearing but it wasn't to be.

"It is a blow for us and for Scott and we will just have to deal with it.

"You are hoping to have the ban reduced but if not, you have contingency plans just in case. We do have an idea of who will play there on Wednesday.

"We will have to keep an eye on Beram Kayal, we can't afford to lose too many players in that area because it is a crucial part of the pitch."

Referee Stephane Lannoy dismissed Brown during last month's 1-0 defeat at Celtic Park.

Brown later admitted that he "made a mistake" in getting sent off but maintained the decision was "harsh".