CHRIS SUTTON has told his RecordSport column readers he believes Leigh Griffiths might take a long while to start firing on all cylinders again and Celtic might have to look for another option in January.
Celtic take on Livingston on Saturday afternoon and we already know Leigh will be part of the match day squad for the first time since August. Neil Lennon hasn’t rushed the player back and will likely use the next few games to give Leigh some match time.
From there, Celtic can assess what to do next and if reinforcements are required in January. Right now, everyone at Celtic wants to see Leigh hit the goal trail and prove his doubters wrong all over again.
Sutton doesn’t think it will be that easy.
“I know how much sharpness is required to play up front for Celtic and perform at that level. Standards are always high.
“The main thing from his point of view, and Celtic’s is to get 100 per cent right and physically as fit as he can – then he can maybe come back and give the club something they need.
“But it’s not simply a question of when he’ll get back to the level he showed before. It’s not that easy. There are no guarantees.
“I’ve been saying for months that there’s a very real challenge coming from Rangers this season and if Odsonne Edouard gets injured Celtic don’t have an adequate back-up.”
Leigh has shown he can get back among the goals after a long lay-off and he’ll look to make sure he can do it again. Neil Lennon is giving him every chance and hasn’t been tempted to throw him in before he’s ready.
