Euro campaign

● Striker undergoes ‘tidy-up’ hernia op ● Ready for competition from Edouard

Not for Leigh Griffiths a fortnight lying on his back in sunny climes, refreshing himself for the new season. The Celtic striker elected to forgo a holiday in a bid to prepare himself for the forthcoming personal challenges that have been made all the greater by last week’s permanent signing of French forward Odsonne Edouard, pictured, in a club record £9 million deal.

Griffiths, 27, did find himself stretching out in the aftermath of Brendan Rodgers’ men claiming the double treble a month ago – on an operating theatre as he underwent a “tidy-up” hernia operation. After a short period of recuperation, he then began gym work in advance of a full preseason programme with the rest of the squad this week.

The Scotland international doesn’t dwell on the possibility of finding himself third choice behind Moussa Dembele and Edouard in the jostle for the central striker’s role. The focus for Griffiths presently is avoiding the fitness issues that dogged him and diminished his game time last season. He has no concern over the fact that his remedy for them amounted to an entirely atypical footballer’s summer break.

“I had a decent rest,” he said. “I gave myself plenty of rest time and I spent a lot of time with my kids. I’m a home bird anyway. I like being around my family and kids. It’s difficult enough to take them out of school and away. But I feel I’ve hadadecentenoughbreakand I’m ready for the new season.

“The injuries last season were frustrating in keeping me out. I hope I am injury free now and I get a good pre-season under my belt and come through it with flying colours. Whoever starts the season will have a dip at some stage and when that happens you need to take your chance when you can get it. You want competition for places. It isn’t just strikers who have competition, it is everyone. Odsonne is a great addition to the squad. We have seen his qualities, especially in the second half of the season.”

Acalfproblemseemedtostymie Griffiths at various points over the past two years but he maintains that was addressed successfully even before the last campaign ended.

“It was to do with my hip muscles blocking my full range of movement,” he said. “As soon as that got released I’ve not felt anything in my calf. I got deep tissue massage and I’ve worked in the gym and done pre-hab before and again after training. The muscles that weren’t working properly are working properly now and I’ve now been injury free since the second week in March. Hopefully that keeps going. I am fit and ready.”

A heavy physical toll will be placed on Celtic players the moment they step back on to the pitch for their first game of the new campaign. They have been handed an awkward trip to Armenian capital Yerevan for the opening leg of their first qualifying round Champions League tie on 11 July. Opponents Alashkert have no great European pedigree but they will benefit from moving the game to the 16,000-capacity Republican Stadium, giving free entry and the fact that the encounter is likely to be played in 35-degree heat.

Rodgers’ side are seeking to become the first Scottish side to qualify for the Champions League in three consecutive seasons. Gordon Strachan’s Celtic played in the competition every season between 2006-07 and 2008-09, but in the latter campaign they had the luxury of direct entry into the group stage.

Four qualifying rounds require to be negotiated this year. Rosenborg, beaten by Celtic in the qualifiers last year, are likely to lie in wait in the second of these should the Scottish champions prevail

0 Leigh Griffiths shows off the new Celtic away kit at the club’s Lennoxtown training centre.