Brendan Rodgers has gone public with his concerns over the fitness of Leigh Griffiths.
After hitting 40 goals last season the former Hibs striker has struggled to get a regular game this season with Moussa Dembele not the only obstacle to a first team place.
Last week against St Johnstone Griffiths came on for the last 15 minutes but managed to injure a calf that saw him miss the visit of Hearts and probably tomorrow’s visit from Aberdeen.
With Moussa Dembele injured it would have been the perfect opportunity for Griffiths to showcase what he can do.
Rodgers would rather have the striker on the park than watching from the sidelines and opted to explain exactly what the problem is with Griffiths.
“Talent is not enough, Leigh is a really good kid, a good boy, and I want to help him,” the Celtic boss said in The Sun.
“If he can focus on outside of the football field he can be a consistent player for a number of years at the top level.
“If not, it might prove to be very difficult for him. That’s from the lifestyle of a footballer. You have to live it right. Unfortunately for him, he’s in this cycle of breaking down. It’s not just about the games. You have to train well, work well.
“Leigh’s not a problem. He’s a very spirited young man, which I love. He’s got personality but hopefully he’ll have seen progression in lots of players here through this way of working.”
Rodgers added: “It’s total devotion to being a footballer.
“If he can do that, he can sustain being a topclass young striker — not just in Scotland, but at Champions League level. If not, it can be difficult.
“This isn’t new. It is not something I have just said to him now. This is from the start of the season.
“It is why the likes of Dedryck Boyata can come in having hardly played a game all season and play to the level he has.
“Why? Because every single day of his life he is training, he is working, he is preparing mentally for the opportunity.”
So far this season Griffiths has started 10 SPFL matches, appeared as a substitute in another five and scored eight goals.
If Griffiths and Dembele miss out tomorrow night 16-year-old Jack Aitchison will continue as a substitute.