Old Firm matchday: Celtic vs Rangers squad selections and supporter updates

Celtic can close the gap to Hearts to just one point with a win over Rangers in this afternoon’s Old Firm derby at Celtic Park, keeping the Scottish Premiership title race firmly alive ahead of a dramatic final week of the season.

Title race implications

Hearts, who are chasing their first Scottish Premiership title since 1960, saw their lead cut to four points on Saturday evening after being held to a 1-1 draw at Motherwell. Derek McInnes’s side were denied a penalty in that match, a decision the manager described as a “huge moment” and said he was “shocked” not to have been awarded. The draw opened the door for Celtic, who have won their last four league matches on the bounce since a damaging 2-0 loss to Dundee United in March and now have the chance to turn the pressure back on the league leaders.

A win for Celtic this afternoon would leave them just one point behind Hearts with two games remaining — a midweek trip to Motherwell followed by a final-day showdown against Hearts themselves in Glasgow. A draw would not be a disaster for the hosts, but it would mean the title could effectively be lost as early as Wednesday. Defeat, meanwhile, would leave Hearts four points clear with only two matches left, an almighty gap to bridge even with the two teams meeting on the last day.

Celtic interim manager Martin O’Neill acknowledged the unusual pressure his side face. “It’s not a position that the football club has found itself in in recent years,” he told Sky Sports. “Generally speaking, they’ve gone clear and there’s been no opposition. There’s been plenty of opposition this year, not just from Rangers but obviously from Hearts. So it is a big, big change, not something that a number of these players have been used to. You have to get used to it. You’ve been chasing, you have to keep chasing.” O’Neill has also suggested the title could go down to the final day and potentially be decided on goal difference — a scenario that underlines the importance of every goal in this derby.

For Rangers, the title is almost out of reach, yet mathematically they remain in contention. However, the scenario required is nothing short of a miracle. Rangers would need to win today, then beat Hibernian on Wednesday, while simultaneously hoping Hearts lose to Falkirk and Celtic are beaten by Motherwell. Then, on the final day next weekend, Rangers must beat Falkirk while Hearts and Celtic play out a draw. Manager Danny Rohl has acknowledged his team is in a “really difficult position.” Rangers have not lost to Celtic in the league this season — including a notable 3-1 victory at Celtic Park in January — and have won their last two visits to the stadium, scoring three goals on both occasions. They are unbeaten against their Old Firm rivals in a league game since September 2024. Yet even that impressive record will count for little unless a staggering combination of results falls their way.

The stakes are particularly high for Celtic given their eight league defeats this season. No team has ever won the Scottish Premiership with that many losses, a statistical anomaly that adds extra weight to every remaining fixture.

Team news

Celtic made one change to the side that beat St Mirren, with Luke McCowan replacing Elias Tounekti on the wing. Daizen Maeda, who was a doubt with a recent foot issue, is fit to start, meaning Kelechi Iheanacho begins on the bench. Cameron Carter-Vickers misses out entirely due to an Achilles injury, while loanees Tomas Cvancara and Julian Araujo, along with Jota and Kasper Schmeichel, remain sidelined.

The full Celtic XI: Sinisalo; Johnston, Trusty, Scales, Tierney; McGregor, Engels, Nygren; Yang, Maeda, McCowan. Substitutes: Doohan, Iheanacho, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Tounekti, Sarrachi, Hatate, Murray, Forrest, Ralston.

Rangers, meanwhile, were dealt a significant blow with the absence of midfielder Nico Raskin. Manager Danny Rohl confirmed the problem: “Unfortunately, Nico, John [Souttar] and Ryan [Naderi] are not available. They have still problems with their muscle. The game was too soon.” John Souttar and Ryan Naderi are also out with muscle injuries. In response, Connor Barron has been drafted into midfield, with Oliver Antman and Tuur Rommens also brought into the starting XI in place of Dujon Sterling and Andreas Skov Olsen. Rumours that captain James Tavernier would be dropped proved wide of the mark — he retains his place in the side.

Rangers XI: Butland, Tavernier, Fernandez, Djiga, Rommens, Barron, Chukwuani, Diomande, Moore, Antman, Chermiti. Substitutes: Kelly, Sterling, Aarons, Meghoma, Aasgaard, Gassama, Bajrami, Miovski, Skov Olsen.

Match updates

Kick-off at Celtic Park is at 12pm BST, with the final Old Firm derby of the season — the 452nd meeting between the two clubs — carrying the kind of tension that has defined the rivalry for more than a century. Historically, Rangers have won 172 matches, Celtic 171, and 108 have ended in a draw. In the 2023-24 season, Celtic won two of the three league meetings, with one draw. This season, however, Rangers have held the upper hand in derby encounters.

The match also carries deeper narratives. Rangers have endured internal reports suggesting Raskin has contradicted Rohl on the team’s mentality, adding a layer of intrigue to their preparation. For Celtic, O’Neill — who took over after Wilfried Nancy’s departure — is still navigating a season of multiple managerial changes. The club’s last title came in the 2023-24 campaign, their 10th Premiership crown and 54th Scottish league title overall, with Hearts’ Lawrence Shankland finishing as top scorer with 24 goals. Now, Hearts themselves are chasing history, while Celtic look to avoid becoming the first side to lose eight league games and still win the league.

Hearts’ title charge has also been hampered by injuries: McInnes revealed that key players Craig Halkett and Marc Leonard have both ruptured their Achilles tendons, a double blow that could test their depth in the run-in. Celtic will hope to exploit any weakness as they push to keep their own destiny in their hands.