Griffiths starts on the bench against Thistle

Leigh Griffiths is on the bench today with Nadar Ciftci leading the line against Partick Thistle today.

Griffiths has been out of action for a month but has been declared fit to take a place on the bench, which also includes Carlton Cole, as Celtic look to go three points ahead of Aberdeen at the top of the Premiership.

Looking ahead to the match Ronny Deila said: “It’s a new year and we have so much to play for this season. I’m excited and I’m looking forward to the game. I saw a lot of positive things against Hearts that I want to see more of and there was very good energy in the whole team.

“That gives me a good feeling ahead of the game on Saturday. In 2016 I want to win everything in Scotland, play Champions League, move the club forward and develop the players. These are high, tough goals but you need to have them if you want to succeed.”

The Celtic boss added: “We always have to evaluate everything we have done and look forward to improve and look forward to playing games and enjoy winning when you’re winning. That’s very important in football.

“Sometimes it’s being better defensively, sometimes it’s that we don’t create chances. That’s how it is to be a manager and to be a leader you have to see the trends and see what we have to improve.

“Right now it’s small details in attacking play. We need to be more direct and have more runs behind the defence to open things up. We did that better against Hearts so that’s something we have to continue doing.

“Defensively we need to press good as a team and get back the reactions when we lose the ball. That was also a big step forward against Hearts so it’s small details that can make things right and if we do it we’re hard to play against.”

CELTIC: Gordon; Lustig, Ambrose, Simunovic, Tierney; Johansen, Bitton; Commons, Rogic, McGregor; Ciftci

SUBS: Bailly, Izaguirre, Griffiths, Mackay-Steven, Allan, Cole, Forrest