Leigh Griffiths has revealed that he has to take things game by game to keep on top of the muscle strains that dogged him throughout last season.
A year ago he played a lead role in Celtic reaching the group phase of the Champions League but after picking up a hamstring strain found himself playing second fiddle to Moussa Dembele throughout the campaign.
Griffiths’ anxiety to get back involved led to further muscle injuries with the striker now monitoring his fitness on a game by game basis to minimise risk.
“Muscle injuries gave me problems all last season and I have had a slight knock on one this season,” he explained to The Sun. “But hopefully this is the last and I get a clear run for the rest of the season.
“Right now the calves are good. They were feeling good last Friday as well but the gaffer has to look at the next two Champions League games, and he wants his best players available so he took precautions against Thistle.
“I’m raring to go. I’ve not felt any problem over the weekend or the last two days training so I’m feeling really good.
“The thing now is I know it’s better to speak up than keep it to myself.”
He added: “If I go out and play Friday, I try a sprint and it flares up, then I know I am out of this game and next week’s game.
“I came in after last Tuesday game against Kilmarnock and said they were a bit sore. I spoke to the gaffer and the sports science guys and they thought it was best for me just to rest last Friday, get half an hour under my belt, and make sure I’m ready to go for Astana.
“It is a marathon, not a sprint, it is a long, hard season. I would rather miss 60 minutes of one game than three or four weeks with injury. It is a little bit of communication.
“If you speak to the sports science guys, they will work around you, and monitor your training and stuff.
“They have been great since they came in — as long as you tell them if you are feeling anything.”
Celtic struggled past Rosenborg in the last round with the former Hibs striker only featuring in the last half hour of the return leg.
Since then he has scored doubles against Hearts and Kilmarnock with the hoops support looking for more goals tonight against Astana in a fixture that he has form in.
Two years ago he scored twice in the 3-2 win over Malmo, twelve months ago he grabbed another double in the 5-2 win over Hapoel Beer Sheva.
A double tonight in a 2-0 win over Astana would be perfect as Celtic look to extend their eight month unbeaten record in all competitions.
