Rangers

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Ivor Pandur insists Rangers are not focusing on the consequences of winning or losing their Scottish Premiership derby with Celtic on Sunday as they look to repeat the level they showed when the teams met last weekend.

The Ibrox side dominated at home as they ran out comprehensive 3-0 winners over Celtic in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final, with Martin O'Neill's side defeated again midweek by Ferencvaros in the Europa League.

Rangers currently trail last season's champions by five points, with Celtic holding a 100% league record as they look to defend their title.

When asked whether they considered the outcomes of potentially moving within two points of Celtic or dropping eight behind, goalkeeper Pandur replied: "Not really. I think we just need to focus on what we can do."

That means concentrating on carrying out the gameplan and manager Derek McInnes' instructions.

"I think we did a really good job [in the win over Celtic]," Pandur said. "Obviously we had a week to prepare to see what we can improve and do better, but the performance was good and we just want to do the same."

Rangers enjoyed the backing of exclusive home support, with no away fans at the cup meeting, and the roles are reversed on Sunday.

"You just focus on the game," Pandur said. "The noise outside, everything, you need to shut it out and focus only on the pitch.

"We know they are a good team. It's easy for them, it's their stadium, their fans, it's still a game of football. We know they'll see what they do wrong, they'll try to improve, they'll try to do things better and we need to be ready for it.

The 26-year-old doesn't buy into the idea that Celtic are vulnerable after their latest two defeats.

"They play at home, the fans will be behind them, give them energy," Pandur added.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain returns to the Celtic squad to face Rangers in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday after the midfielder was suspended for Thursday's Europa League match against Ferencvaros.

Manager Martin O'Neill will assess those who played against the Hungarian side.

Yang Hyun-jun is still away at the Asian Games with South Korea, while Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Jota remain out.

Rangers striker Ryan Naderi and an unnamed player are doubts.

Left-back Tuur Rommens is back in training after a lengthy spell out with a groin injury, but Lawrence Shankland, Youssef Chermiti and Daisuke Yokota are still out.

New Bologna head coach Raffaele Palladino has praised Lewis Ferguson's versatility and intelligence after the 27-year-old Scotland midfielder's verbal agreement to join Rangers this summer failed to produce a concrete approach. (Daily Record, external)

Middlesbrough manager Kim Hellberg says Connor Barron has yet to make his debut on loan from Rangers as nobody in his side currently deserves to drop out. (Northern Echo, external)

Former United States goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who worked under Martin O'Neill with Leicester City, has revealed he almost joined the Northern Irishman at Celtic while Rangers also showed interest in him at different stages of his career. (The Scotsman, external)

Read Saturday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Rangers have been in contact with the Scottish FA over Celtic midfielder Mika Baur's challenge on Ryan Naderi that left the striker's ankle in a "mess", says Derek McInnes.

Naderi is a doubt for Sunday's league derby at Celtic Park following the second-half incident - which resulted in a free-kick to Celtic - in Rangers' 3-0 League Cup win over Martin O'Neill's side last weekend.

"Well, I haven't (sought an explanantion) but the club have," said manager McInnes.

"The club, (chief executive) Jim Gillespie, spoke to (referees' chief) Willie Collum and the SFA about it. I'm really not happy with the challenge, but I'm not going to get caught up in referee chat.

"I'm surprised that the referee wasn't asked to look at that. I find it strange that it wasn't. Ryan's ankle's a mess. It was a mess, it was a poor challenge.

"Sometimes these challenges can happen, but it didn't look great, to be honest. And Ryan is one of two players who's a wee bit of doubt for the game on Sunday."

With Lawrence Shankland and Youssef Chermiti out injured, Naderi's absence would leave Kevin Kelsy and Bojan Miovski as Rangers' only two available strikers.

"We don't really have another like-for-like, but we'll give him every chance," added McInnes.

"We've had to cope without key players before. I'm hoping he can make it, but if he doesn't, it will be somebody else's opportunity."

Martin Dowden
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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Rangers manager Derek McInnes has been speaking with the media before the trip to face Old Firm rivals Celtic in the Premiership on Sunday (12:00 BST).

Here are the key points:

• McInnes confirmed the club have spoken with SFA head of referees Willie Collum about Mika Baur's challenge on Ryan Naderi last weekend that has left the German striker as a doubt for Sunday.

• He says: "I'm really not happy with the challenge, but I'm not going to get caught up in referee chat. I'm surprised that the referee wasn't asked to look at that. I find it strange that it wasn't. Ryan's ankle's a mess. It was a mess, it was a poor challenge. Sometimes these challenges can happen, but it didn't look great."

• Tuur Rommens trained after injury and may be available. An "unnamed player" is a doubt along with Naderi.

• McInnes insists Rangers will need another "big performance" and "that bit more" to overcome Celtic despite comprehensively beating them 3-0 at Ibrox last weekend in the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final.

• With observers noting McInnes got his tactics right in that win, the Rangers manager is keen to downplay that aspect. He says: "I think sometimes tactics can get a wee bit overplayed. So I do think you normally win games during the individual moments and the performance of players being really high and really strong. You don't win at Celtic Park unless everybody plays well. So we've got to try and bring something similar and look for those improvements again."

• He says having no fans at the game can be "overhyped", and so can the negative week Celtic have endured after also losing in the Europa League to Ferencvaros.

• He adds: "The game's a game. I think once the ball rolls, it's a game of football that we need to concentrate on the detail."

• McInnes "can't wait" for his return to Celtic Park with his previous visit being the final game of last season when Celtic pipped Hearts to the title. He says: "I'm looking forward to it. It's something that I've always wanted to do. it's just all about the game and we'll be really busy with the game and focused on the game to think of anything else."

• McInnes insists that despite momentum being with Rangers while Celtic struggle, the narrative can quickly change with Martin O'Neill's side capable of opening an eight-point gap over their rivals.

• He explains: "I think you're constantly aware of that at a club like Rangers. You're only one bad result away from getting a belt in the mouth again. And you've got to try and keep those to a minimum, as much as you can. We've worked hard to get to where we are at the minute."

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Will Rangers boss Derek McInnes stick with the same tactical set-up that worked a treat against Celtic last weekend?

The sides meet again on Sunday, this time in the Premiership, with Celtic reeling from a 3-0 Ibrox loss in the League Cup and 3-1 Europa League defeat at home to Ferencvaros.

Rangers are aiming to move within two points of the Premiership leaders by securing back-to-back derby wins, while defeat at Parkhead would leave McInnes' men eight adrift.

"The guy that would have been rubbing his hands watching that [Ferencvaros] game last night is Derek McInnes because it was a game that again showed Celtic are fragile and vulnerable," said The Guardian's Ewan Murray on the BBC Scottish football podcast.

"Rangers have given them a bloody nose just days ago and Celtic's confidence has got to be even lower now.

"Rangers' tactical set-up will be really interesting. Derek has a habit of maybe changing something. James Penrice in midfield obviously worked, but something tells me he maybe won't do that again, he'll do something different.

"But he and the Rangers players have a right to be really confident about this game. I think generally in midfield, Rangers have got Celtic's number.

"And actually McInnes has got Celtic's number because he did it for Hearts last season bar obviously one game, but particularly two games at Tynecastle where Hearts dominated Celtic in that midfield area, bullied them and bossed them and won the game."

Rangers believe they cannot afford to sell Bojan Miovski in January despite the 27-year-old North Macedonia international remaining third-choice striker behind Kevin Kelsy and Ryan Naderi. (Football Insider, external)

Read Friday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Andy Campbell
BBC Sport Scotland

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Olwethu Makhanya has arguably been Rangers' standout signing of a busy summer.

Having missed the Scottish Premiership opening 1-1 draw with Dundee United and Rangers' first European fixture, the South Africa defender has quickly become indispensable, playing every minute of every game since.

In those 10 fixtures, Rangers have kept five clean sheets, including in each of their past three games.

Across his five league appearances, former Philadelphia Union player Makhanya has won possession 27 times - the most of any Rangers player - and made 20 clearances, four blocks and five interceptions.

The 22-year-old has won four of his five tackles and ranks third for aerial duels won - 13 of 24 - while there is room for improvement in his 23 of 43 duels won.

He is also comfortable on the ball, with the second-most carries in the Rangers squad behind defensive partner Emmanuel Fernandez, and four successful dribbles.

Makhanya has contributed in attack too, creating four chances.

Against Celtic in last Sunday's 3-0 League Cup win over Celtic, he drew plaudits for his marking of Camilo Duran, who came into the game in form after six goals and three assists.

Makhanya and Fernandez had been the central two of a back four in the previous games but, against Celtic, the South African was left of a back three with Fernandez playing centrally and Dujon Sterling on the right.

Whether that is repeated in this Sunday's Premiership trip to champions Celtic will be interesting but Rangers and manager Derek McInnes are unlikely to change too much after a comfortable win.

"Our back three really were so strong in what they were doing," said McInnes afterwards.

"We asked a lot of them today and we had to play with a bit of risk and reward."

Former Rangers forward Peter Lovenkrands was in attendance at Ibrox and said of McInnes on BBC Radio Scotland: "Inside, he knows he pulled a masterstroke.

"He'll have something up his sleeve, I'm sure he will. If they're going to play the same way and Celtic know they're going to play that way and prepare for that to happen, they'll have something to change and McInnes needs to be able to change again.

"I cannot wait to see what's going to happen."

• Celtic's 3-1 win over Rangers in May ended a six-game winless run in league Old Firm derbies (D3 L3). The Hoops have won six of their past eight home games against Rangers in the Scottish Premiership (L2).

• After a 3-0 victory in the League Cup last weekend, Derek McInnes could become only the second Rangers manager to win both of his first two Old Firm derbies, after Graeme Souness in 1986.

• Celtic are looking to win 14+ consecutive league matches for the first time since March 2017 under Brendan Rodgers (22), a run that ended with a 1-1 home draw with Rangers.

• Rangers have scored seven goals from 128 shots in the Premiership this season, a conversion rate of 5.5% - the lowest in the division.

• Five of Celtic's six home league goals this season have come in the first half of matches, with their only second-half strike at Celtic Park coming from Benjamin Nygren against Dundee on matchday one.

• Rangers have used more players (26) and made the joint-most starting XI changes (18) of any side in the top flight.

Rangers will have to pay just £800,000 to sign James Penrice on a permanent contract should they take up their option to buy the 27-year-old on-loan AEK Athens left-back next summer. (Daily Record, external)

Former England striker Jermain Defoe has disclosed that then manager Steven Gerrard's suggestion that Rangers were "the nearest thing I've seen to Liverpool Football Club" persuaded him to join the Ibrox club from Bournemouth in 2020. (The Warm-up, external)

Jermain Defoe is "100 per cent" open to returning to Rangers as a coach or manager. (The Warm-up, external)

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full.

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Rangers make the short trip across the city on Sunday aiming to achieve a derby feat they have accomplished only twice before in their history.

Having beaten Celtic 3-0 last weekend in the League Cup quarters, Rangers are now targeting back-to-back derby wins in successive games.

It will be be no easy task though - as history shows.

On only two occasions have Rangers faced their Old Firm rivals twice in a row in all competitions and won both.

The first came way back in September 1960 under Scot Symon as Rangers followed up a 2-1 Parkhead win in the League Cup with a 5-1 league trouncing at the same venue.

There was a 38-year wait before it happened again. Walter Smith was the manager as Rangers defeated Celtic 2-1 in the Scottish Cup semis at Celtic Park in April 1998 then racked up a 2-0 derby win at Ibrox the following weekend.

Now, a further 28 years later, can Derek McInnes and his side repeat the feat?

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John Beaton is the referee - and Nick Walsh the VAR - on Sunday for Rangers' Premiership visit to Celtic in the second Old Firm derby of the season.

Beaton will be assisted at Celtic Park by David McGeachie and Jonathan Bell, with Grant Irvine alongside Walsh in the VAR room.

The Glasgow rivals meet for the second successive weekend after Rangers progressed to the League Cup semi-finals with a commanding 3-0 win over Celtic at Ibrox.

Beaton took charge of one Old Firm derby last season, the 2-2 draw at Ibrox in March where Celtic rallied from two down for a point.

Raith Rovers manager Dougie Imrie backs Calum Adamson, the 19-year-old midfielder on loan from Rangers, for a call-up by Scotland Under-21s. (Courier - subscription required, external)

Wednesday's Scottish gossip

David Currie
BBC Sport Scotland Senior Reporter

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James Penrice has urged resurgent Rangers to follow up their "brilliant" League Cup win over Celtic by beating the Premiership leaders at Parkhead this weekend.

The left-back, on loan from AEK Athens, shone in a midfield role in his Old Firm debut as Rangers swept aside their arch rivals 3-0 at Ibrox last Sunday to reach the semi-finals.

He acknowledges the second derby of the season will be a "very different game" but insists Rangers head to Celtic Park intent on victory.

Speaking at an event to launch Rangers Charity Foundation's partnership with Down's Syndrome Scotland, the 27-year-old reflected on a "memorable Sunday".

He said: "You've seen a real team performance and I think from the get-go we were brilliant. We need to park Sunday and focus on the league now so it needs to be followed up this Sunday.

"I definitely think we've got more gears to go but there's evidence that it's a lot better. But let's not get too far in front of ourselves, Sunday's massive and ultimately we need to go there and win the game, so we'll be looking to do that."

After a challenging start to the season, including failing to qualify for European competition, Rangers now won five matches in a row - clear evidence things are coming together, according to Penrice.

"I feel like over the last couple of weeks we've been winning games in that sort of way where it's everyone together, but it just made it 100 times better that it was a full stadium," he added.

"You've seen after the game, everyone was in it together and it can only give us confidence going into the next run of games where we need to keep winning.

"Definitely it feels like a real team and that's probably the biggest compliment I can give the boys and for the manager as well. From a difficult position, we've managed to turn it, but it's not fully turned yet, we've still got a lot of work to do."

Penrice says playing in an Old Firm match was always on his "footballing bucket list" and the first instalment surpassed his expectations.

"The noise just when we came on the pitch and during the warm-up was wild," he said.

"But you have to perform and it makes it all the better that we managed to walk away with the win. It was a very memorable Sunday."

With no Rangers fans at Celtic Park in the Premiership match this Sunday, Penrice acknowledges the atmosphere will be somewhat less welcoming.

"From our players' point of view, we don't go there and worry about fans. We think the game will be different," he said.

"They'll probably change stuff, we'll probably change stuff. It'll be a different game but we'll go there with the mindset that we're going to win. That's what you need to do as a Rangers player, you need to go to these places and win."

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Scott Arfield believes former club Rangers are "right in there now" after a difficult start to the season - but still face a "true test" this weekend.

Sunday's 3-0 League Cup last-eight triumph over Celtic extended Rangers' winning run to five in all competitions, the first four of which were all narrow victories.

Next, Derek McInnes' men travel to face Martin O'Neill's side in the Premiership on Sunday, with the defending champions up against Fenerbahce in Thursday's Europa League match first.

"It's a great start," Arfield told BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"There's been a lot of negativity since Derek McInnes was appointed. There was a lot of negativity with the players, the recruitment.

"They're right in there now. That's five wins out of five in the last five games. Everybody knows that football is full of momentum.

"They're in a good, rich vein of form right now and it's all about keeping that momentum as much as they can."

Prior to their winning run, Rangers were knocked out of two European competitions and took one point from their opening two league fixtures.

"To beat your rivals very, very convincingly will go a long way to settle the noise up here," Arfield, who won the Premiership and Scottish Cup at Ibrox, said.

"It's probably as easy a game against Celtic I've seen in a long, long time. Rangers just rose to the occasion. From minute one to the 90th, they were by far the superior team.

"There's optimism around the full club now.

"There's going to be bigger tests going forward, starting next week at Celtic Park. That'll be the true test.

"It'll be a copy and paste from Derek McInnes on Sunday. Martin O'Neill, he's a very clever manager - I think he'll come up with something a wee bit different."

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

Rangers' imposing Old Firm victory was the type of performance I thought we would be getting this season under Derek McInnes. Organised, aggressive and using the attacking four to hurt the opposition.

When I saw the team line-up, it looked like a 4-4-2 and I was thinking Rangers are going to get overrun in midfield.

However, massive credit to McInnes. It was not a 4-4-2 at all. The way he combated the numerical disadvantage was to have James Penrice in the middle of the pitch out of possession and then using him in a wider position, allowing him to underlap and overlap Djeidi Gassama when in possession.

The three at the back bullied Celtic's attackers, restricting them to one shot on target - one that Ivor Pandur could have thrown his hat on.

Olwethu Makhanya looks like a Rolls-Royce defender so far. He is showing everything you need to be good in Scottish football.

In midfield, Penrice was full of energy and discipline, much like Nico Raskin, who showed why he is in the Belgium team. And Dan Neil was excellent; he dictated play in there and his two goals capped off a magnificent display.

Gassama and Kim Min-su pinned back Celtic's full-backs. They didn't have much final-third quality but their directness helped keep Celtic on the back foot.

Kevin Kelsy missed a good chance early on but his all-round play was great. He also worked well in tandem with Ryan Naderi. One thing I enjoyed was him pinning Cameron Carter-Vickers and of course his goal was extremely well taken.

McInnes is right to say the performance has to be a reference point for the players. They now have to find a way to go to Celtic on Sunday and come away with the three points.

The game will be totally different, but another Rangers result is what is required. Even this early, we cannot afford to go eight points behind.

The performance and result should give the manager and players plenty of belief for Sunday.

It's shaping up to be an interesting match, but for now Rangers look as if we are headed in the right direction.

We have five domestic wins on the bounce and a cup semi-final to look forward to. We would have taken that position given where we were after Jablonec.

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Aris Thessaloniki are still pushing to sign John Souttar before Tuesday evening's Greek signing deadline, but Rangers are reluctant to agree to the 29-year-old Scotland centre-back's request to be paid for the final year of his Ibrox contract. (Football Insider, external)

Simon Ireland has left his role as Rangers set-piece coach just months after replacing Scott Fry, who joined Birmingham City in the summer. (Herald - subscription required, external)

Germany-born Rangers striker Ryan Naderi has been included in a preliminary list of names being considered by the Czech Republic for this month's Nations League fixtures after rejecting a call by Bulgaria. (Record - subscription required, external)

Rangers attacker Kim Min-su, 20, has won his first call-up by South Korea. (National - subscription required, external)

Tuesday's Scottish gossip

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Dan Neil has warned Rangers to expect a reaction from Celtic when the two sides meet again this coming weekend.

Midfielder Neil, 24, scored twice as the Ibrox side beat Celtic 3-0 in Sunday's Premier Sports Cup quarter-final at Ibrox.

The Glasgow rivals' first Scottish Premiership meeting of the season takes place at Celtic Park on Sunday (12:00 BST).

"They're a good team and there's going to be a reaction," Neil said.

"And it's at their place and although we've won on Sunday, by no means have we over-celebrated. We know that it's job done this week but we've got a massive game in the league.

"We got through in the League Cup, which is brilliant and we are going to Hampden with a chance of a final.

"But we're under no illusion about the league and the points at the minute and full focus is on next week before the international break."

Captain for the day Neil praised his team-mates for their approach in the first Old Firm derby of the season.

"I thought all the lads carried out the game plan to an absolute tee, in possession and out of possession," Neil explained.

"I thought we were really aggressive, really intense but also mixed it up as well, we were really compact and narrow in a block and I thought we judged when to jump out of that block and go man-for-man very well.

"You've seen that probably in the last few games, which is why the clean sheets are starting to come. But even when things weren't going great, I was still enjoying it.

"I knew that there was going to be a turn in form from everybody because I see the quality in the changing room and maybe we just needed that little bit of getting to know each other's games and getting to know each other as people as well.

"People underestimate how big that is in a changing room and you've seen a more together team over the last few weeks."

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Did Sunday's dominant Old Firm victory finally signal the arrival of Derek McInnes' Rangers?

Former midfielder Kevin Thomson believes the 3-0 League Cup quarter-final win could prove to be the day that ignites the McInnes era.

Rangers were well worthy of their derby victory at Ibrox, which has earned them a last-four date with Aberdeen at Hampden.

Thomson did not expect his old side to be as emphatic, but he says the threat and energy they carried were integral to proving him wrong.

Speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast, the ex-Rangers player said: "I felt that even though Rangers have not been performing amazingly well, they've been starting to build some sort of momentum.

"I just felt Sunday was one of the games that the team might just arrive. I didn't think they'd be as emphatic and I didn't think they would bully Celtic as much as they did.

"It would be naive to say that, because Celtic are littered with brilliant players and they've been through this so many times, but Rangers made it a proper cup tie and they had that edge you need in these games.

"Rangers carried such a threat and such an energy and I felt Celtic really struggled with that."