BRENDAN RODGERS last night revealed Celtic will not rush Leigh Griffiths back into the first-team for fear the striker breaks down again with another injury.
However, the good news for the Parkhead boss is that Stuart Armstrong returns from three weeks on the sidelines and he will be in the squad for today’s home Ladbrokes Premiership match against Motherwell.
The fitness of Griffiths has been a concern for some time to Rodgers who this month publicly scolded last season’s top goalscorer for his lifestyle, which the manager believed was holding back the Scotland international.
Griffiths has done well when in the team and has scored 13 goals this season. But he's struggled to put together a run of matches and this is why the Celtic medical staff are being cautious with regards when he will be allowed to play in the first-team.
Rodgers revealed: “Stuart Armstrong is back in. He’s fit and had a good week’s training.
“But Leigh probably won’t be in the squad. He is still at that sort of conditioning phase as he comes back. It’s just making sure with Leigh. He’s been brilliant in his approach to it. The attitude, everything has been first class.
“We just want to make sure that he doesn’t break down again.
"What he was doing was he was getting injured and we are trying to break this cycle of playing a few games, getting injured and being out for a bit. He’s a great player for us, we stick him on the bench, he goes in and he thinks he’s alright, we think he’s alright, and then he breaks again.
“We are trying to make sure we are giving him period of getting really fit so he can come back, stay fit and really contribute for us.”
Rodgers praised the professionalism of Nadir Ciftci who become the latest Scottish-based player to move to Poland. The striker will play for Pogon Szczecin in the First Division on loan deal until the end of this season.
The Celtic manager said: “It will be good for Nadir to get some games. It’s been difficult for him because of the form of the other strikers here.
"You have to give him massive credit because he’s been totally professional. He’s been a great guy to have around the squad, and I've given him some game-time lately as a reward for his hard work and endeavour.
"He’s a striker and strikers want to play and score goals. This is a chance for him, between now and the end of the season, to get some games."
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