According to a recent report from The Daily Express, Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths has returned to full training following injury. The 28-year-old hasn’t featured for Brendan Rodgers’ side since their 6-0 win over St Johnstone over a month ago after suffering a knee injury in training, which has thus seen him miss out on selection for Alex McLeish’s Scotland squad this week.
Yet reports suggest that the striker is back in training and will use the current two-week break for internationals to get back up to speed, and while the Bhoys haven’t struggled too greatly without Griffiths, there’s no doubt that this huge Lennoxtown boost is exactly the news Celtic fans wanted to hear.
The Breakdown
Ultimately, the Bhoys embarked upon a very testing start to the season to call into question whether Rodgers had taken the club as far as he could, what with the Scottish giants really struggling for goals in the Scottish Premiership and indeed the Europa League.
Yet recent weeks have seen his side get into their groove in sweeping aside St Johnstone 6-0, Dundee and Hearts 5-0, and Hibernian 4-2, only to be brought back down to earth with a disappointing goalless draw against Livingston at the weekend.
Yes, that result did move them to top spot in the table for the first time this season, but it’s clear that the injection of impetus and spark Griffiths provides was needed at Almondvale Stadium on Sunday – that’s why news he is back training is such a huge boost.
The 28-year-old may not have enjoyed an overly prolific start to the season with just one Scottish Premiership goal to show for his endeavours, but some of the goals he scored in other competitions earlier this term came at a time in which Rodgers’ men were seriously struggling.
It was Griffiths who bagged the winner in their unconvincing 1-0 win over Rosenborg in the Europa League back in September, a win that is looking more and more important as the group progresses, while he also bagged the winner in their narrow Scottish League Cup success over St Johnstone just six days after winning the game against Rosenborg – his influence was clear for all to see.
And with the Bhoys facing Rosenborg again in the Europa League later this month, just a few days before their Scottish League Cup final meeting with Aberdeen, having Griffiths back gives Rodgers another hugely accomplished option in that area of the field ahead of a tough run of games, let alone someone who has produced the goods under pressure already this season.
So while he hasn’t enjoyed the best goal-scoring season of his career to date, having the 28-year-old back from injury is sure to be a huge boost for Rodgers and his side over the coming weeks – it’s exactly the news Celtic fans wanted to hear.
Celtic fans… what do you think? Let us know!
