Neil Lennon has responded to Leigh Griffiths’ appeal for more game time by telling the striker that there is more work he can do on his fitness.
The striker hasn’t played more than 45 minutes this season but has came off the bench to score four goals including one against Hearts in the Scottish Cup Final and followed that up by netting the opening penalty in the shoot out.
A year ago Griffiths was being written off with the arrival of Patryk Klimala giving Lennon a new striking option as Celtic needed to kick-start their SPFL challenge.
The Scotland striker started and scored in the first match after the winter break as Celtic struck form with Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard providing a fresh attacking edge.
With the hoops defence in charitable mood over the last two months the timing could be right to reunite last season’s strike force but Lennon told the Daily Record that he still has concerns about the fitness of the former Hibs striker:
He’s training every day, but I think he can maybe push himself a little more. Griff has tunnel vision, he can be quite belligerent and he has great belief in himself.
This isn’t him and I falling out over anything. I think he can get fitter. Maybe he thinks he can get fitter by playing more of the games but I think in between games or if he’s not playing as much, he can do a little bit more. He may disagree with that, but it’s just a difference of opinion, probably.
General conditioning and match fitness. I don’t know if he’s fit enough to do a full 90 minutes yet. That’s where I stand on it. I’m not totally convinced that he’s fit but he’ll be fit enough to play and add something to the games as we go along
Griffiths’ only start this season was at home to AC Milan in October but at half-time he was replaced by Moi Elyounoussi.
