CELTIC boss Brendan Rodgers has applauded Leigh Griffiths’ determination in his fight for full fitness.
Last season’s 40-goal striker has struggled to overcome an ankle injury and hasn’t started a first team game this year.
Rodgers last month questioned whether the Scotland international frontman was showing the “total devotion to the life of a footballer” required to reach the peak of his profession.
Griffiths will not feature against Motherwell at Parkhead this afternoon as he has not fully recovered from the problem that has kept plagues him in recent times.
However, his efforts to improve his fitness of late have been welcomed by his manager.
Rodgers said: “He is still at that sort of conditioning phase as he comes back.
“It’s just making sure with Leigh. He’s been brilliant in his approach to it. The attitude, everything has been first class.
“We just want to make sure that he doesn’t break again.
“He was getting injured and we are trying to break this cycle of playing a few games, getting injured and being out for a bit.
“Leigh’s a great player for us. We stick him on the bench, he goes in and he thinks he’s all right, we think he’s all right, then he breaks again.
“We are trying to make sure we are giving him a period of getting fully fit so he can come back, stay fit and really contribute for us.”
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