LIVINGSTON boss Roberto Landi is hoping the Scottish Football Association will allow striker Leigh Griffiths to play for the club on Saturday against St Johnstone.
Griffiths, who has scored nine goals this season, has been picked for Scotland Under-19s who travel to Hungary on Saturday for three games, meaning he would miss the First Division fixture and leave Landi without a recognised first-team striker d
ue to the suspension of Calum Elliot.
The club has appealed to the SFA for Griffiths to be allowed to fly out to Hungary on Sunday where he will join up with the rest of his Scotland team-mates preparing for the UEFA European Under-19 Championship. The Scots, coached by Billy Stark and Tommy McIntyre, need to finish first or second in their three-team group to ensure their progress into the next round, which takes place in the Spring.
Landi said: "We need to have an answer from the football federation. The squad leaves on Saturday but we have asked for Leigh to join up with them on Sunday. Calum is suspended so I must try and find other options.
"I have been studying St Johnstone and I have a plan, but Leigh is an important player for us.
"I understand the requirements of the SFA because I have coached at international level, but we would prefer Leigh to leave on Sunday and play for us on Saturday."
Griffiths said: "It will be a busy few days but I am looking forward to it and also hoping to win my first cap. It is an honour to be picked for my country and it is exciting. However, Livingston have got a tough game coming up against St Johnstone and we will be looking to bounce back after the defeat to Queen of the South."
Scotland play Azerbaijan on Monday, San Marino on Wednesday and hosts Hungary the following Saturday. However, Landi will have Elliot back for that date which sees Livingston visit Clyde.
Hibs' Callum Booth, Paul Hanlon and David Wotherspoon are in the squad along with Hearts' Gary Glen and Jonathan Brown.
Griffiths has just returned to action after he injured his knee in September running for a bus so he could pack his bags for a Scotland Under-19s fixture.
Elliot, meanwhile, has won the Irn-Bru First Division young player of the month award for September, after netting five times in three league appearances. Griffiths won the prize for August.
The full article contains 420 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
