Celtic boss Neil Lennon could be on the lookout for another centre forward in January.
The Northern Irishman revealed Ivorian forward Vakoun Issouf Bayo will have a scan on a knock and is a “major doubt” for the Ladbrokes Premiership clash with St Mirren at Parkhead on Wednesday night.
Leigh Griffiths, out since August, latterly with a thigh problem and virus, should return to training on Thursday but asked if a new striker could be on his transfer window shopping list, Lennon said: “Possibly.
“Bayo took a knock yesterday so he is a major doubt for tomorrow.
“So we are a little bit short there with only one currently at the minute, (Odsonne) Edouard, who is fully fit.
“Bayo is going for a scan today and we are hoping he should be okay for the weekend.”
Lennon was speaking at Celtic’s Lennoxtown training complex where skipper Scott Brown was publicising the release of a new DVD cataloguing his hugely successful time at Parkhead since signing from Hibernian in 2007 for a reported £4.4million – a record fee between two Scottish clubs.
The former Celtic skipper claimed Brown’s contribution – which has included picking up 17 out of 19 trophies as captain as well as leading the club to an unprecedented domestic treble treble – has been “immeasurable”.
He said: “There has been a great maturity and he has evolved his game into a really top sort of holding midfield player, where he’s reading the game, covering the ground and breaking up attacks and prompting attacks.
“His leadership qualities are invaluable.
“It’s immeasurable to put into words the contribution that he’s made over the last 10/12 years.
“And he’s still, at 34, playing as well as ever and I think that’s testament to his professionalism and his dedication.
“It not easy. It’s not easy playing here, and certainly not easy being the captain here for the length of time he has been here because it’s a huge responsibility.
“But he’s grown into that role and really sort of taken that on if you want to call it that.
“In my first time as manager here he was a great role model for a lot of the younger players and he’s even more so now.”
Lennon rounded up his other injury news before assessing Jim Goodwin’s St Mirren side, who are 10th in the table.
The Northern Irishman said: “Leigh is back on the grass now. He has been doing some physical work with the fitness coaches and we hope he starts training again on Thursday.
“Tom (Rogic) has got a little bit of inflammation again around the knee.
“Christopher Jullien is fine, he had a little bit of a bug but has trained this morning.
“Olivier Ntcham (ankle) is back in training and obviously Ryan Christie comes back into contention as well (after two-game ban).
“Jim Goodwin has done well, they are not cut adrift.
“They are not scoring many but they are not conceding many. They are well organised and they try to play when they can.”
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