Team news and stats ahead of Rangers vs Celtic in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday, live on Sky Sports; start 12.30 h.
Team news
Rangers Chief Steven Gerrard is confident he has the midfield reserves to handle Celtic in Saturday’s Old Firm derby despite losing Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack.
The Ibrox boss confirmed that Arfield (ankle) will miss at least the next three games, while Jack (knee) is not yet ready to return, meaning Steven Davis, Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo are ready to start against the Hoops, with Bongani. Zungu available to provide fresh legs from the bench.
The only other absent from Gerrard is Nikola Katic, a long-term knee victim.
1:09
Former Rangers forward Kris Boyd says the Old Firm is ‘well set up’ as both sides are in good shape ahead of their clash live on Sky Sports on Saturday.
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Christopher Jullien is a great doubt for Celtic as they prepare for the second derby of the campaign.
The French defender had to be carried off on a stretcher after a painful collision with the post during Wednesday’s 3-0 win over Dundee United at Parkhead. Winger James Forrest remains out after ankle surgery.
How to follow
Saturday January 2 11:30 am
Start 12:30 pm
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Rangers vs Celtic will air live on Fútbol Sky Sports and Main event from 11.30 am on Saturday; start at 12.30 pm. Sky sports Clients can view clips of the game on the Live Match Blog at Sky sports website and app. Free highlights will also be posted on the Sky sports digital platforms later Saturday night.
Scottish football podcast: ‘The title race will be over if Rangers win’
Andy Walker, experto en Sky Sports:
“If the Rangers win it, you would have to say it would almost seal the title. Celtic surely couldn’t come back from that gap, and this is the only time Celtic can affect Rangers. The level of consistency they have had, only drawing twice in the league campaign, is truly remarkable.
“Everyone at Celtic has been very surprised, so they cannot afford to lose the game. If they do, the league will end. The Rangers would have such a big mattress and could afford a mishap, but they don’t. seems likely. Celtic has to go there and win.
Gerrard: I don’t choose teams out of feeling
0:59
Steven Gerrard says his team is more confident ahead of his game against Celtic, compared to his first Old Firm clash as the Rangers’ coach.
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Steven Gerrard has warned Ryan Kent that he will not let sentiment sway him as he prepares to choose his Rangers lineup for Saturday’s Old Firm clash with Celtic.
“Yes (I have a selection dilemma) but I have had a selection dilemma since the first game of the season,” said the Ibrox boss. «We have good players, all fighting for positions. There are good players who do not enter the field and who have been doing well.
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Highlights from the Scottish Premiership game between St Mirren and Rangers
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That’s the equipment you need in the Rangers. My job is to choose the team. I don’t choose him for the feeling, I choose him for players who I think will do the job.
“I have tough decisions to make this weekend, but I’m not the first Rangers coach to make tough decisions before an Old Firm game.”
Lennon refuses to contemplate defeat of Old Firm
2:09
Highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Dundee Utd
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Celtic boss Neil Lennon says he’s “not even contemplating losing the game” as he looks ahead to Saturday’s Old Firm game with the Rangers at Ibrox.
“You don’t want to lose it, you want to get a positive result, be it three points or one point,” he said. “We are not even contemplating losing the game, we go there in a positive mood and we have to play, and we have to play much better than here in October.
2:09
Highlights from the Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Dundee Utd
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“We have Christie, Edouard, Griffiths, Turnbull, Soro, they are all available to play, so hopefully that will give us a real spark of entry into this game. We are playing well, everyone is fit, available and there is good competition for places.
«We are creating many opportunities that we had not done in that [poor] Spell and we have been looking much more confident at the rear, so the players have found their rhythm.
“I wouldn’t say I’m relaxed about it, you’re never going to play a game like this, but we’re looking forward to it.”
Opt for statistics
3:44
With 12 matches over the next four days, including Rangers vs Celtic, could this week be pivotal in this season’s Scottish Premiership?
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- The away team has won each of the last three Old Firm derbies in the Scottish Premiership (2x Rangers wins, 1x Celtic); the home team had won five such matches in a row before this.
- The Rangers have won their last two league meetings with Celtic, winning three in a row for the last time from March 2007 to March 2008 (a streak of four under Walter Smith).
- Celtic have won five of their last seven league away games against Rangers (L2); prior to this, they had won only four of their previous 16 visits (D2 L10).
- This will be the first time that Rangers and Celtic will play their first league match of a calendar year against each other for exactly 10 years (January 2, 2011), which was Neil Lennon’s first league Old Firm derby at Ibrox. as Celtic coach. He led his team to a 2-0 victory thanks to a double by Georgios Samaras, which remains the last time a Celtic player scored more than once in a league match away against Rangers.
- The Rangers have won each of their last 13 league games, scoring 39 goals and conceding just three in this span. It’s his best winning streak in the top flight since another 13-game streak between December 2007 and March 2008 with Walter Smith.
- Celtic are undefeated in 19 league games away from home (15 wins, 4 draws) since a 2-0 loss at Livingston in October 2019.
- Celtic are one of two teams Rangers forward Alfredo Morelos has faced in the Scottish Premiership without scoring (also Dundee United in two applications), facing them 11 times in the competition and attempting 22 shots (eight on goal) without finding the network.
- Since his first league appearance against Rangers in March 2018, Celtic’s Odsonne Edouard has scored (six) and been directly involved in (eight – six goals, two assists) more goals than any other player in derby matches of the Scottish Premiership Old Firm.
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