SIMON DONNELLY has warned Celtic that they will have to be at their best to see off the challenge of Hibernian this weekend.

The former Celtic forward has been hugely impressed by Neil Lennon’s side this season and thinks that they are the team best-equipped to cause problems for the champions on their home patch.

And while he still expects his old club to retain their league title at the end of the campaign, he believes the Easter Road outfit can join a number of other teams in giving Celtic a run for their money over the course of the season.

“I remember the 2-2 game in particular [last season at Celtic Park] when two young Scots, John McGinn and Callum McGregor, scored the goals,” Donnelly said.

“Out of most of the teams, Hibs seems to perform best at Celtic Park, although I know Aberdeen won there at the end of last season.

“Hibs have been the best team to watch so far this season even if know Celtic had a great result at McDiarmid Park.

“I think it will be a much more open league this season even if I still expect Celtic to win it. For a neutral it’s good to have four or five teams in about it and it’s good when you have a day like Saturday when challenging teams are playing against each other.

“I watched [Hibs] against Aberdeen in the cup game and even if they lost on penalties they were the better team and they played free-flowing exciting football.”

Hibs manager Lennon will of course be without last season’s goalscoring hero at Celtic Park, John McGinn, and he has also lost the influential Dylan McGeouch from his midfield.

But Donnelly has been impressed by Lennon’s ability to rebuild his side despite losing key performers, and he feels that the timing of the international break could also work against Celtic.

“[Neil Lennon] has done it a few times where he loses players and he finds new ones,” he said.

“Stephen Mallan has come in and done well and Neil seems to be getting the best out of Martin Boyle.

“Celtic have shown some signs recently that they are getting back to where they were – especially against St Johnstone where they blew them away and James Forrest was on top form.

“That will give them confidence but the international break halts that a bit, so it will be interesting to see which Celtic turns up at the weekend because they will be in a game against Hibs.

“They will have to be at a decent level to win that game.”

Meanwhile, Donnelly is hoping that current Celtic striker Leigh Griffiths can get back to full fitness and get firing again for club and country.

“I don’t think anyone should turn their back on their nation – although I don’t think that’s what he did,” Donnelly said. “I don’t think he was fully fit.

“He needs to be playing regularly and he needs to be fully fit. A fully fit Leigh Griffiths is an asset for Celtic and an asset for Scotland.

“Whether there are personal problems there I don’t know. I don’t know the ins and outs of Scotland.

“But, for me, in football terms if you can get the ball to a fully fit Leigh Griffiths in the final third he has shown time and time and again that nine times out of 10 he will out the ball in the back of the net.

“We don’t have anyone better.”