Rodgers dismisses talk of Griffiths going AWOL: 'He's been ill'

Leigh Griffiths had been accused by the Scottish media of going AWOL after Celtic's Europa League defeat away in Germany on Thursday, after he had not been seen training with the squad, as they prepare for their cup semi-final with Hearts this weekend. 

However his manager Brendan Rodgers has moved to quell talk of Griffith's abandoning his teammates, and has explained in his weekly press conference that the player is simply ill. 

Rodgers told the media: "It's all social media. He hasn't been well. He didn't go away with the international team, then he got injured and then he has been ill for a number of days now. I spoke to Leigh when we trained at Murrayfield (on Tuesday) to check in how he was. He's been ill so he's been kept away from the squad." 

His manager continued: "He has been connecting every day with our head physiotherapist, Tim (Williamson), and he probably gets about 20 messages a day off him, so there's no chance you're not connecting with Leigh. We just want to get him fit and back into the squad again. He's away for some more scans today with Tim." 

Finally, Rodgers criticised social media for the emergence of such nonsense claims, concluding: "So that's just the way it is sometimes with social media. There's always a bit of tittle-tattle which runs and takes its own life with these stories. He's very much in contact with the club. Like all our players, we try to ensure their welfare. That's of the utmost importance to us, so we can get them on the field to play. He's obviously had issues and problems through injury and whatever."

It has been confirmed that Griffiths will sit out Celtics Betfred cup semi-final with Hearts this Sunday, and so the 'Hoops' will have to find an alternative source of goals if they want to progress to the final of the competition, to be held at Hampden Park in November.