Celtic interim boss Neil Lennon receives no reassurances from unhappy Dermot Desmond

Lennon also confirmed yesterday that left-back Edson Braafheid had been fined by the club after storming out of Hampden Park before kick-off on Saturday having learned he had not been selected for the squad.

The interim manager described the episode as being "part of the malaise that is lingering here", but will still consider the on-loan Bayern Munich player for selection for tonight's home league fixture against Motherwell.

Some might contend that Dermot's own absence from Saturday's semi-final in favour of a golf tournament in the States is also symptomatic of Celtic's current plight. But the Irish billionaire was concerned enough to hold a discussion with Lennon by telephone on Sunday, with the shockwaves having been felt even as far away as the exclusive Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia.

"We tried each other a few times," reported Lennon yesterday. "Then we spoke to each other late last night (Sunday]." The interim manager revealed he "wasn't reassured at all" by the chat, with his own prospects of being appointed full-time manager now on the line.

Desmond had the gruesome details of the previous day's capitulation against First Division opponents described to him by Lennon, who also reported the news of Braafheid's decision to walk out of the ground prior to kick-off. But Lennon is more aware than anyone that this particular element of a bleak weekend constitutes a red herring. Braafheid did not feature against Ross County, and could not be held responsible for what has been branded the worst result in the club's history.

• Neil Lennon pictured on the touchline during his side's match against Ross County at Hampden

Desmond, like Lennon, will know that the failure to beat Ross County, and earn the side the chance to win at least some silverware this season, was the fault of those players on the park, many of whom face uncertain futures in the weeks and months ahead. Their ears will have been burning over the weekend as Lennon spoke at length with both Desmond and chief executive Peter Lawwell.

"I've spoken to Peter and I spoke to Dermot last night," confirmed Lennon yesterday. "Obviously I'll not make (what was said] public. It's private. But it's fair to say Dermot wasn't happy. But he's pragmatic enough, Dermot. He wasn't hyper-ventilating or anything like that."

Many Celtic fans were nearing this stage of agitation on Saturday evening. Another angry throng gathered outside Celtic Park for the team's return. Lennon, who heavily criticised the players directly after the game, told them to expect some more hard-truths being flung in their direction. "I told them they had to take it and that I didn't want anyone snapping back," he said.

"It's been a difficult season and the fans have got the right to air their views," he added. Lennon revealed that one fan had over-stepped the mark, leading to a confrontation with an un-named player.

"Some of the supporters were a bit over aggressive," he said. "I can understand somebody – one of the players – trying to step in and calm things down. There was an incident. But I was watching it from inside, keeping an eye on things and making sure the player did not over-step the mark either."

Lennon later emerged from the stadium and attempted to respond to the supporters' complaints. Some reports suggest he placed some doubt over the immediate future of both Georgios Samaras and Marc-Antoine Fortune, two players who were the targets for heavy criticism by fans on Saturday and who it has been rumoured would not appear again this season. But Lennon played this down yesterday.

"That's not necessarily true, that's people speculating," he said. "Nobody knows my team until an hour before kick-off."

However, he did confirm that Braafheid had been disciplined by the club. He, too, is in contention to appear this evening, as Celtic bid to strengthen their hold on second place in the face of pressure from Dundee United.

"It's been dealt with internally and he (Braafheid] has been disciplined by the club," said Lennon. "That's the end of the issue. He'll be considered for selection tomorrow. I spoke to him about it yesterday and explained the selection to him on Saturday before the game."

Lennon pointed out to Braafheid that he could only name four out-field players among the substitutes, plus a goalkeeper and two under-21 players.

"I was pleased he came to see me because it shows that he cares and is disappointed," he said. "But what I can't have is him leaving before the game.

"No doubt about it, it's part of the malaise that's been lingering here, if you want to put it that way. It's not good enough. We do have a certain code of conduct and discipline that we want the players to adhere to, regardless of how disappointed they are. I told him that we have a big game on Tuesday night and that he would be part of the plans for that."

Meanwhile, Celtic striker Morten Rasmussen has received a one-match ban for elbowing Kilmarnock defender Frazer Wright. Kilmarnock defender Tim Clancy has also been hit with the same punishment by the Scottish Football Association's disciplinary committee following a separate incident in the same match, Celtic's Scottish Cup win at Rugby Park last month.

Rasmussen will miss the Clydesdale Bank Premier League visit to Dundee United on Sunday, 25 April, although he has the right of appeal. The Dane lashed out at Wright as the Kilmarnock defender held him in the home side's penalty area during Celtic's 3-0 quarter-final win.