Celtic manager Neil Lennon has confirmed that striker Leigh Griffiths is to step up his recovery efforts next week in an update on his comeback from his personal issues.
The Scottish international has been missing for the Bhoys for a large chunk of the campaign, having been allowed to address personal problems off the pitch by the club.
Having not been seen since December, the 28-year-old is back at the club and as revealed by Lennon will be taking part in full training next week, although the last game of the season will still come too soon for him.
He told the press, as revealed on the club’s official Youtube channel: “He’s working very, very hard. He was in yesterday, he was in today, his condition is improving all the time so we’re hoping that he’ll start training out on the grass next week.
“It’s not really realistic (to see him play v Hearts). He’s been out for so long and he’s not really interacted with the group in terms of the football side of things.”
Opinion
Griffiths has been sorely missed by Celtic, who could have done with an out-and-out forward among their ranks this season. Of course, they have still picked up the league title and are on course for a third consecutive treble winning campaign, so maybe they have not needed him as much as they might have had the competition been fiercer. It remains to be seen what Celtic do with him this summer, for after so long out it could be they cut their losses and spend on getting another forward in to bolster their squad. It seems unlikely that he will be given much, if any, game time between now and the end of the season and so maybe the Parkhead faithful have seen the last of the Scottish star. You can be sure that is not what Lennon wants but at the same time his priority has to be the football club and right now Griffiths is not offering anything to the side.