Rangers dealt “massive blow” ahead of Celtic in “nightmare situation” for McInnes
Rangers have found their rhythm just in time for the first Old Firm derby of the season, but Sunday will reveal how much substance there is behind their revival.
Derek McInnes’ side welcome Celtic to Ibrox at noon for a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final, with a semi-final place and Glasgow bragging rights on offer.
It will be the first time McInnes and Martin O’Neill have faced one another in this fixture, and the league table seemingly makes Celtic clear favourites.
They have won all six of their Premiership games and sit five points above Rangers, although the hosts have now put together four straight league victories.
That run has changed the mood around Ibrox after an uneven opening, yet Celtic have looked the sharper and more settled side this season.
Sunday offers Rangers the perfect chance to rewrite that story, and both teams had to grind on Wednesday.
|
Last 10 Old Firm derbies |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Date |
Fixture |
Competition |
Rangers outcome |
|
10 May 2026 |
Celtic 3–1 Rangers |
Scottish Premiership |
Loss |
|
8 March 2026 |
Rangers 0–0 Celtic after extra time |
Scottish Cup quarterfinal |
Draw, Celtic won 4–2 on penalties |
|
1 March 2026 |
Rangers 2–2 Celtic |
Scottish Premiership |
Draw |
|
3 January 2026 |
Celtic 1–3 Rangers |
Scottish Premiership |
Win |
|
31 August 2025 |
Rangers 0–0 Celtic |
Scottish Premiership |
Draw |
|
4 May 2025 |
Rangers 1–1 Celtic |
Scottish Premiership |
Draw |
|
16 March 2025 |
Celtic 2–3 Rangers |
Scottish Premiership |
Win |
|
2 January 2025 |
Rangers 3–0 Celtic |
Scottish Premiership |
Win |
|
15 December 2024 |
Celtic 3–3 Rangers after extra time |
Premier Sports Cup final |
Draw, Celtic won 5–4 on penalties |
|
1 September 2024 |
Celtic 3–0 Rangers |
Scottish Premiership |
Loss |
Mika Baur secured a narrow win for Celtic at St Johnstone before Bojan Miovski struck in stoppage time to give Rangers a 1-0 victory over St Mirren.
McInnes’ men created enough to settle the contest much earlier, yet they kept pushing and were finally rewarded.
There can be no such waste against Celtic, who are unlikely to offer many second chances at this level.
Ibrox should be ferocious, with Celtic supporters barred from attending. A ground filled by Rangers fans ought to give the home players a lift, but it also places the expectation squarely on them.
Rangers must press together, compete for every loose ball and use the noise from the stands, while avoiding the gaps Celtic can exploit when a match becomes stretched.
There is extra spice because the clubs meet again in the league at Celtic Park just seven days later. The cup tie will not decide the title race, but it could shift the mood dramatically before the quick rematch.
Rangers dealt ‘massive blow’ by long-term Lawrence Shankland injury
McInnes must approach both games without captain Lawrence Shankland.
The 31-year-old suffered a hamstring problem in the opening stages against Motherwell, and the Gers boss has confirmed that four months of rehab could lie ahead, with the forward also expected to undergo surgery.
That is even more damaging with Youssef Chermiti already sidelined by a serious knee injury, leaving Rangers short of two major attacking options at a crucial point in the campaign.
Former Man United scout Mick Brown believes the timing is especially painful because Shankland had started scoring as the team’s results improved.
“Lawrence Shankland was finally getting into a run of form at Rangers,” Brown told Football Insider.
“Their results at the start of the season weren’t good enough, but it looked like things were finally starting to pick up, and the striker had started finding the net more often.
“So to lose him to a serious injury will be a massive blow to Rangers, they would have been gutted when he was forced off due to his hamstring.
“Now they’re going to be without their first-choice striker, they’ve already lost Chermiti who is also injured, and that’s a big part of whatever success they might have.
“It’s a blow for the manager as well, because losing his two main goalscorers will inevitably impact the results, and then that brings pressure back onto him.
“So it’s a nightmare situation, really, for Rangers and they’ll now have to find a way to cope without him in the side.”
Miovski has made the strongest possible early case to lead that response.
His decisive contribution against St Mirren was exactly what McInnes needed, but starting an Old Firm knockout tie brings an entirely different examination, while expensive summer signing Kevin Kelsy failed to impress at Ibrox in midweek.
Rangers cannot allow Shankland’s injury to become an excuse.
A win on Sunday would show they can absorb a huge setback, but a damaging defeat would make Brown’s warning about renewed pressure on McInnes a bit harder to dismiss.
