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One of the Celts who won’t be taking part in trophy day will be looking to seal a European place for Kilmarnock.

We all know that man is Youssouf Mulumbu, and we all know how far from first-team duty he is when it comes to Parkhead. Mulumbu made only three appearances for the Hoops before being dished out to Steve Clarke’s men back in January.

Clarke sensationally said that Mulumbu wasn’t fit when he arrived in Ayrshire (BBC Sportsound, April 6th). But since then, the Congolese midfielder has raked in 11 appearances at Rugby Park and notched one goal.

In recent weeks, Clarke has really gotten the best out of him too. Mulumbu is looking much like the player that dominated midfield battles against Celtic and Rangers last season. He looks like the player Celtic wanted to bring in at the start of the season.

But looking at how far from first-team action he now is, Mulumbu has to make a big impression. He has to go over and above to prove to any potential new management team at Parkhead that he can play a role next term.

Celtic have Mulumbu contracted for another year. When his loan deal at Rugby Park is up, he’ll be back in Glasgow looking to make an impression in a fresh start.

But that fresh start really should begin today when Mulumbu faces Rangers. Just one week on from Scott Brown, Callum McGregor, and Olivier Ntcham being bullied off the Ibrox side, Mulumbu has a golden opportunity to upstage them.

Mulumbu is looking back to his best

Alongside Alan Power and Gary Dicker, Mulumbu looks a player reborn over the last two months. But today will prove to everyone just how far he truly has come during his short stint in Ayrshire.

An impressive, dominant display at Rugby Park today and he could give himself one final chance. It won’t throw him into first-team contention in Glasgow, but it will set him up much better for pre-season.

As it stands, Mulumbu has to overcome the likes of Ntcham, Brown, McGregor, Nir Bitton, and Eboue Kouassi respectively. But a powerful, composed, and tidy display against Rangers gives him some real credibility heading into the new campaign.

This isn’t any kind of dead-rubber. Killie have put themselves into the battle for third place through Mulumbu, Dicker, and Power’s bossing of games. This new midfield trio Clarke has revolves around the Celtic man, and that will likely prove to be the case today.

So whilst Celtic get ready to celebrate eight-in-a-row, Mulumbu will be starting his bid to make an impact for nine. And that all begins with a dominant display at Rugby Park today. Let’s finally see how far Mulumbu has truly come on recently.