Leigh Griffiths is bracing himself for official confirmation that he is out of Celtic’s final game of the season against Motherwell – on the day the club are expected to be given the league title.

The striker was booked for his part in a clash with Hearts’ John Souttar on Saturday afternoon, a caution that took him to six for the season.

The bank holiday weekend has delayed the arrival of referee Alan Muir's report to the SFA's disciplinary committee, but it is expected that Griffiths will be given formal notice of a one-match suspension later this week.

And he admitted that after the best season of his career in which he has netted 39 goals and been named the Player of the Year by his fellow professionals that he is gutted at the prospect of sitting out the game when the prize is handed out.

“I knew I was going to be suspended as soon as I got the yellow card at Tynecastle,” he said. “At the time I tried not to think about it but at the back of my mind I was thinking that I am unlucky enough for it to be the day when we get the trophy.

“If that is the case then I just have to suck it up. Suspensions are part and parcel of football. It has been the best season of my life and it isn’t the best way for it to end but I just need to get on with it.

“f it is right, it is disappointing but what I have to think about is that over the course of this season I have had my fair share of the good times. There have been good days and bad days this season but nothing will keep me away from the pitch after the game.

“I will be gutted not to play in that game itself but the boys will go out and do their business and then hopefully I can chip in with the celebrations when the presentation is made. Nothing would keep me away from that!”

And Griffiths remains adamant that he was innocent of any wrong-doing in his clash with Souttar.

“I still maintain that it was the softest booking that I have got all season,” he said. “I didn’t touch him. I didn’t do anything and I ended up on a yellow card. Most of my bookings this season have been for daft things like celebrating goals and taking my top off.

“So maybe I need to learn a wee bit from that because I don’t want to find myself out of the team for any reason. And this one in particular will be a sore one.

“It is unfortunate because you can’t appeal a yellow card. It is a pity because you can see quite clearly on TV that I haven’t done much.”

Griffiths has two games then remaining if he is to hit the 40-mark this season and he is determined to go out on a high.

“ I have two league games left to play and I want to go out and put in a really good performance. I know that Scott will get a rest but I don’t want that,” he said. “I want to keep going against Aberdeen and then St Johnstone and hopefully get the goal that would take me to 40.

“Aberdeen have beaten us twice this season so it would be nice to go out and put on a strong performance on Sunday.”