Celtic take on Rangers at Ibrox this weekend in a match that could define Brendan Rodgers’ side’s season this Sunday at 12 pm.
The Bhoys head to Govan one point ahead in the league standings and could move four points clear of their arch-rivals with a victory.
Should Rodgers’ men secure a draw, they would remain a point ahead until at least next Wednesday, when Rangers are pencilled in to play their game in hand against Dundee at Dens Park.
Regardless of the result in Tayside, we can be safe knowing that Celtic still have another crack at Philippe Clement’s outfit after the split at Parkhead; however, whoever manages to prevail will have a major psychological advantage heading into the run-in.
Undoubtedly, this season has presented its fair share of ups and downs for the Hoops, though there is still potential for a domestic double to arrive in Glasgow’s east end before the end of May.
As our title charge continues, the importance of key players such as Reo Hatate and Cameron Carter-Vickers being available cannot be understated.
John Kennedy rates Callum McGregor’s Glasgow Derby chances
One notable absentee from last Sunday’s victory over Livingston was club captain Callum McGregor, who wasn’t risked on the plastic surface at the Tony Macaroni Arena as Celtic cruised to a 3-0 victory.
Tomoki Iwata has deputised in his absence and put in a string of impressive performances; however, McGregor’s leadership and ability to drive Rodgers’ side forward is a commodity that nobody else is able to replace in the Bhoys’ engine room.
Assistant John Kennedy has now rated McGregor’s chances of being able to feature in the Glasgow Derby, stating [via The Celtic Way]: “He’s the captain, the leader of the group. Everyone turns to him. The good thing is that out with Cal, we have other good leaders in Joe, Cameron, Alistair Johnston and these boys. They can pick up when he’s not there.
“But as the manager has said, hopefully, Cal will be back in training in the middle of the week. We’ll get him through that, and then the manager will decide later in the week whether or not he’s fit to play.
“Coming into this run-in, when you start to get all your players back in the group, it definitely makes us stronger.
“You can sense that. It gives us more belief and more momentum to go into the important part of the season.”
Callum McGregor returning would be enormous for Celtic
Celtic have little margin for error in their efforts to claim a third successive Scottish Premiership title, making the availability of key players crucial to their chances of emerging victorious at Ibrox this weekend.
Evaluating the squad, there is a strong argument to say that McGregor is our most important player, and when he turns up, everything else naturally seems to click.
On the other hand, there is a scenario where he may be short on fitness, given he hasn’t featured since our 7-1 victory over Dundee last month.
In that case, Iwata has proven he is an able deputy, though we will need to wait for further updates later in the week.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
