Celtic will have the final say on whether Leigh Griffiths will be called up to the Scotland national team or not, The Daily Record report.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke is set to name his squad today for upcoming qualifiers against Russia and Belgium next month.
The paper say that Clarke will make a last minute call on the Celtic striker’s inclusion, with the Hoops holding the key to his selection.
There’s a lot for the club to consider when making this decision.
Celtic have been careful not to rush Griffiths back into action after he took a hiatus from football to focus on personal problems last season. His re-introduction has been a gradual process and it looks to have paid off.
Should Celtic let him go?
Griffiths’ health must be taken into account first and foremost. Pressure and scrutiny is high when taking to the field with Scotland.
However, if the player is keen on joining up with his compatriots then there’s an obvious decision to make. He must be given the opportunity.
With minutes limited at the Hoops right now due to Odsonne Edouard’s form, Griffiths needs any competitive action he can get. That was made clear yesterday when he took part in a reserves match against Dundee.
If he can feature against top opposition like Russia or Belgium that will only benefit Celtic further down the line.
International football is also important to the Hoops striker. His free-kicks against England are seen as some of the highlights of his career and he’ll be desperate to show everyone he is ready to play on that stage again.
The whole experience could be the kind of confidence boost he needs to get back to his best for Celtic.
Hopefully we see his name on Clarke’s squad list later today.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
