Scotland latest on Leigh Griffiths as coach gives update on Celtic striker prior to Serbia clash

Coach Steven Reid says there was enough evidence of “quality” from Leigh Griffiths in his first training session under the current Scotland management team to suggest he could play a significant part in Thursday’s Euro 2020 play-off with Serbia.

Scotland boss Steve Clarke with Leigh Griffiths in training at the Oriam. Picture: SSNS

The Celtic striker was included in Steve Clarke’s squad for the first time since the former Kilmarnock manager took over from Alex McLeish as boss of the national team.

Mental health and fitness issues precluded the player's selection before now with Clarke preferring attacking options who were playing regularly at club football.

The manager insisted last week Griffiths will still need to be 100 per cent if he’s to be involved, but Reid reckons there was enough on first sight for the player to be a factor in Belgrade.

He said: "It was a smaller training session but you see glimpses, you see it all the time, those moments of quality that might be needed.

"His finish against Aberdeen took my breath away, the shift and the finish into the top corner.

"That's what he offers, that's what I have seen, that's the quality he has, which has never been in doubt, it's just about the consistency and the amount of minutes he has played and getting back up to match speed. But the quality is there and it was a pleasure to see some of his touches and finishes."

The reintroduction of Griffiths comes as a vacancy for a forward role emerged following confirmation that Ryan Fraser's hamstring injury would rule him out of the squad.

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