Celtic 'should be champions' if league cannot resume - Lennon

Celtic "should be champions" if the Scottish Premiership season cannot be completed, says manager Neil Lennon.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster confirmed on Friday said it was "neither realistic nor possible" to continue amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Lennon - whose side are 13 points clear at the top of the league - described the situation as a "nightmare".

"If it was to stop now I would doubt very much that they would say it was null and void," he added.

"It could be death by a thousand cuts. We have played over 30 games, that's well over two thirds of the season so we should be declared champions.

"Certainly, if you are talking about the Armageddon of the league being cancelled or stopped, it should go on the average points total which would make us clear champions and rightly so.

"We are over 30 games in to the season, they are not going to take that away from us."

With Sunday's Old Firm game cancelled, the Celtic squad have been given a few days off.

While none have shown any symptoms of the illness, Lennon stressed that the threat to people's health was more important than football matches being played.

"Hopefully have a bit more information come Monday and get the players back in Tuesday to try to get them training again and into some sort of rhythm but we don't know how to gauge it," he added.

"The gym is here for the players to use if they want and then we will try to get to business as usual. We were praying for the game and looking forward to it. We understand but we are bitterly disappointed."

Before the season was postponed, Celtic captain Scott Brown said the season should finish "as it is" if it had to end prematurely.

Celtic were on course for a ninth league title and chasing a fourth domestic treble in a row, having already won the League Cup and with a Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen scheduled for 11 April.

"If it ends, it stays as it is. But the main thing is everyone is okay, they're all safe," said Brown.

In a statement, Celtic said the postponement of the game against Rangers was "regrettable" but added that "the health and well-being of supporters, players and staff will always be of paramount importance."