5 talking points as Celtic and Rangers prepare for Old Firm derby
Celtic host Rangers in the final cinch Premiership game of 2023.
Both sides have positives and negatives to contend with going in to Saturday’s match at Parkhead.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the talking points which surround what is normally a combustible encounter.
Celtic v Ross County – cinch Premiership – Celtic Park
Liel Abada and Reo Hatate look likely to be among the Celtic substitutes after returning to training following significant lay-offs. Winger Abada last featured in Celtic’s 1-0 Ibrox win on September 3 before suffering a thigh injury while training with Israel, and Japan midfielder Hatate has been out for two months with a hamstring problem. The influential pair have scored five goals between them in this fixture in the past two seasons.
Cameron Carter-Vickers
Cameron Carter-Vickers will miss out with a tight hamstring in a major blow for Celtic. The United States international has been the rock at the back for the past two-and-a-half years but Brendan Rodgers’ side won at Ibrox without him in September. That match saw Liam Scales establish himself almost instantly as a Celtic player and he never looked back. Gustaf Lagerbielke had a less convincing part in the win, benefiting from a VAR decision to disallow a Kemar Roofe goal after he lost the ball. The Swede has only started three games since and is likely to be overlooked for Stephen Welsh, who has never been on the winning side in six appearances against Rangers.
Motherwell v Rangers – cinch Premiership – Fir Park
Philippe Clement has been frustrated and by his squad’s injury problems since taking over from Michael Beale in October. First-choice centre-back Connor Goldson limped off close to the end of the Christmas Eve win over
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