LEIGH GRIFFITHS has hinted that he could be set to sit out tomorrow night’s game against Hamilton Academical after taking a kick to his calf against Malta on Scotland duty.
Griffiths is the only first-choice fit striker at the club, with Moussa Dembele recuperating from a hamstring injury while 19-year-old new signing Odsonne Edouard hasn’t had the chance to make his debut yet after arriving last week.
With the curtain coming up on Celtic’s Champions League campaign against Paris St-Germain on Tuesday night, Griffiths is mindful of being sensible and managing his calf issues, which have proved troublesome over the last few months.
“It was just a wee kick to the back of the calf but I feel okay,” he said. “Maybe the gaffer will look at it and say that maybe given the fact that the game is on astroturf it might be an idea to rest the calf just as a precaution. We have a massive game on Tuesday night so we’ll see how it is over the next few days. I will have a word with him and see what his feelings are on it.
“We dropped points at home to St Johnstone so he will want everyone going for it to get back to firing on all cylinders. But we’ll see how it feels and how it goes. The gaffer will make the call and he’ll know what’s best for the team.”
Meanwhile, Griffiths has netted three goals and claimed three assists in his recent performances for Scotland – but he still doesn’t think he has nailed down the first-choice striker’s position.
“I don’t think I am an automatic choice by any means,” he said. “I have had a good return over the last few games but I know that I need to stay on form. That means playing as well as I can for Celtic and hopefully staying in among the goals and staying fit.
“We have the Champions League coming up which I want to play a part in and that can only help my case when it comes to staying in for Scotland. But I am certainly not taking anything for granted.
“We are in a good position with Scotland going into the last two games of the campaign and it would be nice to have a part to play in those ones next month but that is a call for the manager. The only thing I can do is keep producing and make sure that I am firing on all cylinders.”
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