Leigh Griffiths to start for Celtic v Partick

Leigh Griffiths has been handed his first Celtic start in more than a month for this evening's Labrokes Premiership clash with Partick Thistle at Firhill.

Leigh Griffiths, second from left, with some of the Celtic squad ahead of this evening's match against Partick Thistle at Firhill. Picture: Rob Casey/SNS

Griffiths is one of three changes to the side which drew with Manchester City as Rodgers utilities his squad ahead of a run of seven games in 22 days.

After impressing off the bench at the Etihad in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw, Gary Mackay-Steven comes in for his first start under Rodgers, while Christian Gamboa makes his first league start since October’s 4-0 defeat of Ross County.

Due to a mixture of injury and the goalscoring exploits of Moussa Dembele, Griffiths has had to be content with a place on the bench for most of this season. Yet the striker, who struck 40 times last season, has found the back of the net nine times, the most recent coming in his previous start, a 3-0 win over Inverness.

Mackay-Steven appeared the forgotten man at Celtic Park but replaces the injured James Forrest. Lustig’s move to centre-back allows Gamboa to come in at right-back.

Partick Thistle: Cerny; Gordon, Barton, Lindsay; Amoo, Elliott, Welsh, Osman, Booth; Doolan, Erskine.

Celtic: Gordon; Gamboa, Lustig, Sviatchenko, Izaguirre; Brown, Rogic, Armstrong; Roberts, MacKay-Steven, Griffiths.