Leigh Griffiths is confident that Scot Sinclair won’t have to wait as long as he did to win back his place in the Celtic side.
Sinclair got a 20 minute run out against Dundee on Saturday after four weeks out after picking up a hamstring injury against Barcelona.
Earlier this season Griffiths found himself in a similar position but it took him four months to win a regular place in the side.
Sinclair has no direct rival for his place in the side, certainly none of the quality of Moussa Dembele, and looks like being managed back to peak fitness for the visit to Ibrox on December 31.
“Scotty has been brilliant for us since he first arrived here,” Griffiths told the Evening Times. “He just brings so much. He can score, he can set goals up, he works so hard on that flank and he can see an opening for a pass as well.
“I know for a fact that he is chomping at the bit to get back into the starting XI and pick up where he left off. He was unlucky with the injury – I know a wee bit about that myself! – and he was gutted when he was out.
“He got a good half hour against Dundee and I don’t think he the type of guy who needs much game time to get back to his optimum level so that is good news for us.
“He can take defenders on and I do think that we can compliment one another because one of the strengths of my game is in getting in behind defences and he is definitely the type of player that can see that.
“I can make space for him or myself but for me he would be one of the guys right up there this season as a player of the season for us, although it says so much about the team that there are a number of players who fall into that category.”
Despite his absence Sinclair is second to Liam Boyce in the Premier League scoring charts with nine goals so far this season.
After starting three matches in a row Griffiths could be on the bench tonight for the visit of Thistle as Brendan Rodgers nurses his squad through the sixth of nine December fixtures.
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