Scott Brown earmarks semi-final as his goal on the long road to recovery

There is no better duty as captain than lifting a trophy. The ultimate perk of the job is something which, until now, has eluded Scott Brown as Celtic skipper, but as he strives to recover from a badly damaged foot, visualising himself doing just that is giving him his kicks.

• Celtic captain Scott Brown

As downbeat as he is at being out of action, yesterday's Co-operative Insurance Cup semi-final draw which saw Celtic paired with Aberdeen, avoiding Old Firm rivals Rangers who face Motherwell, seemed to put a spring into Brown's faltering step as he recognised what this competition could yet mean to him.

The semi-finals will take place in the final weekend of next January and Brown reckons that is a realistic target for his return to fitness from a stress fracture of the third metatarsal in his right foot.

"I think I should hopefully be fighting fit for the semi-final and hope it can be full steam ahead after that," the midfielder said. "I've got to take my time, it's a fragile bone. The timescale is probably to try and get back at the start of January and take it from there.

"Every skipper at any club wants to be there lifting a trophy at the end of the day. It would mean a lot to me as it would be the first one I could lift in front of the Celtic fans. It would be good for the manager (Neil Lennon], as well, for us to be back to winning ways and winning trophies.

"The next Old Firm league game (at Ibrox] on 2 January, I would hope for, too, but that's maybe pushing it a bit tight. I have to rein myself back to avoid doing extra damage."

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Taking it easy is difficult for Brown whose natural character is very much get up and go. And then keep going. He jokes that his moon boot as become his "new best friend", a reluctant constant companion, but he has a long acquaintance, too, with the League Cup.

"I won it with Hibs when we beat Kilmarnock (in 2007]," he added. "We went back to Easter Road and got an open top bus down Princes Street. The number of fans was frightening. There were about 50,000 there and for Hibs to bring out that support meant a lot to us all."

For Brown's Rangers counterpart, youngster Kyle Hutton, being involved in any kind of fixture would be a bonus in his development, but the striker rightly takes the view the more competitions his club is involved in, the more chance he has of an opportunity. "My mate Andrew Little got his chance against Kilmarnock in the quarter-final and took it with a goal.

"Rangers have got a tight squad with the budget restrictions so it's up to the young boys like myself to be ready if we are called upon," Hutton said.Willie Miller, Aberdeen's director of football, was also present at yesterday's Hampden draw and optimistic his side's next trip to the national stadium will be a whole lot more bearable than their last: a dire 4-3 Scottish Cup semi-final loss to Queen of the South in April 2008.

"The same scoreline would do, but progression to the final would be my preference.

This is great for everybody at the club, the young players are coming through in their droves, and this early blooding at Hampden is an exciting opportunity," he said. "If these players think things are going well, it makes it easier to persuade them to stay longer with Aberdeen."