Scott Sinclair has offered his sympathy to Moussa Dembele after the French striker faces a premature end to his season.

The Englishman can appreciate the frustration of having to miss out after he has to watch his Hoops team-mates lift the League Cup earlier this season. Sinclair pulled his hamstring in the Champions League defeat to Barcelona at Celtic Park just days before the League Cup final against Aberdeen and is well aware how tough it can be to be sidelined when everyone else is celebrating.

“We were hoping that it wouldn’t be too bad and that he would make it to get back for the final,” said the Englishman. “It is so difficult.

“I know exactly what he is going through. I had to miss the League Cup final and I was really hoping for him that he would be back in a couple of weeks. It is tough. On a personal level it is difficult to sit out big games like that and I knew that if it came back that it was a bad one that he would be gutted."

Dembele pulled a hamstring during the 2-0 William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final win over Rangers at Hampden on Sunday and yesterday’s scan results appear to confirm that the striker will be sidelined for the remainder of the season.

And while Sinclair is gutted that the striker, who has hit 32 goals this season, has faced such an anti-climactic end to what has been an impressive inaugural season in Glasgow he believes that there is every chance now for Leigh Griffiths to take over.

“It is not just about the XI guys who are in the starting line-up,” he said. “It is about the whole squad and I think you can see the togetherness that we have. Whoever steps on that field gives 100% for each other and I think that is reflected in the way we have been able to come back in games at times.

“Leigh is a proven goalscorer and he will be ready to hit the ground running this weekend.”

Celtic take on Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon and Sinclair has insisted that the Parkhead side will be going for the jugular.

“Every time we play in the league we want to win,” he said. “It would be great to go to Ibrox and come away from there with a win.

“A lot of people have spoken about Rangers maybe not playing very well on Sunday but I think you also have to give credit to us. We went and played as a team and hopefully we can do that again this weekend.

“We know that we are getting to a really exciting time in the season. The manager has given us this winning mentality to go into every game and get the right result no matter what.

“He is definitely the manager with the temperament that guide us through these next few weeks as we build up to the final of the Scottish Cup.”