Alex McLeish reckons Leigh Griffiths can't be happy at Celtic and suspects he may agree to leave even before the club appoint a new manager.
The striker's contract runs until 2022 but he's occupied little more than a bit-part role this season amid repeated questions over his fitness.
Former boss Neil Lennon criticised Griffiths' conditioning prior to the campaign commencing - leaving him out of a pre-season trip to France - and he's been unable to nail down a consistent place since.
In recent days he's been linked with a move to Aberdeen where he would follow current Parkhead skipped Scott Brown and Dons chairman Dave Cormack is expected to be asked about that link in a Q&A session on Wednesday night.
With a dugout appointment on the cards back in Glasgow in the near future, former Rangers boss McLeish believes the 30-year-old will require guarantees over minutes if he is to remain at Celtic.
He told Football Insider: “He can’t be happy with the limited time that he’s got, unless there’s another reason for it.
“Any player, especially a player of Griffiths’ quality and finishing would not be happy playing a bit-part role.
“Even if it is at a top-class club and you think: ‘Okay, I don’t want to leave here because this is a top-class club.’
“For me, the best thing about football is playing the game and playing to as high a level as you can.
“If Leigh’s thinking that way then I don’t think anybody would say: ‘He’s daft, he should stay at Celtic.’
“Unless he gets guarantees from the new manager saying: ‘You’re my starter, full stop.’
"Maybe there could be a deal done for another club before a new manager comes in.”
