Neil Lennon has dashed hopes that Celtic fans might see a Leigh Griffiths start at Celtic Park in a competitive fixture for the first time in 2019 on Wednesday night.

The Celtic manager has praised his striker’s acumen and attitude but has conceded he is still a work in progress in terms of where he needs to be on a fitness level.

Leigh has been out for a considerable amount of time, by the time he gets his first start it could have been nine months since he last kicked a competitive ball.

It’s all about building the player up and not throwing him into the deep end.

Celtic have the luxury to do this because they have a fit Odsonne Edouard who has already opened his account for the season with a goal against Sarajevo.

The Frenchman finished last season with a treble winning double for the club and while Neil Lennon wants to get Leigh firing again, he knows there’s much more to come from his French striker too.

“Leigh has worked very hard and it was great to see him out on the pitch on Saturday. He’s a work in progress in terms of fitness, but we’re delighted to have him back.” Lennon told Celtic TV.

“Edouard’s been fantastic in the time I’ve been here. There’s more to come from him, he’s in a good place and he’s scoring important goals for us.”