Wednesday 7 September 2016 17:51, UK
Leigh Griffiths could be the difference for Celtic against Rangers on Saturday if the striker recovers from injury, says Murdo MacLeod.
The 26-year-old missed Scotland's 2018 World Cup qualifying win in Malta on Sunday with a hamstring injury.
However, Celtic are confident that Griffiths along with left-back Kieran Tierney, who withdrew from Gordon Strachan's squad with an ankle injury, will be ready for the first league visit of Rangers in four years.
Former Celtic and Scotland midfielder MacLeod, speaking in Glasgow where he was helping publicise The Scottish Qualification Authority's (SQA) endorsement of skills, education and training firm, Spohrt, stressed the importance of Griffiths, who has already scored seven goals this season.
He said: "In any Old Firm game you need people who can score goals and when you have got Griffiths fully fit, that is so important because I think he is the one that will get goals.
"I think that is the priority number one. Griffiths is the guy you look at that is going to score, whether from outside the box or inside the box.
"He is a predator and he will score goals for you at all levels."
Much of the talk leading up to the game has been about the impending battle between Rangers midfielder Joey Barton and Celtic captain Scott Brown.
After signing for the Ibrox club in the summer, the 34-year-old Englishman was publicly dismissive of Brown, claiming that he was "nowhere near the level I am as a player".
MacLeod is looking forward to the tussle in what is sure to be a frantic encounter, but hopes both players see out the 90 minutes.
He said: "Obviously that has been all the hype and I will be looking forward to seeing how they get on with each other.
"I hope it will be a game where the two will be battling away in the middle of the park, but both stay on the pitch.
"The players who can handle the Old Firm match will come out on top."
Ally McCoist, who was Rangers manager from 2011 to 2014, feels The Gers are a strong attacking unit and at least scoring a goal could provide a real boost to their season no matter the result.
"The one thing Rangers can do is, when you're looking at them, they've got players who can score goals," he said.
"Rangers can go to Celtic Park and score something. It's worth more than the point or three points they take. It's a psychological boost and it will give everybody a real hope for the up and coming months."
