Eleven players are unavailable for Rangers against Celtic as a new concerning update on the star emerges today.

Rangers and Celtic prepare for first Old Firm derby

Rangers and Celtic will meet for the first Old Firm derby of the season when the Glasgow rivals face each other at Ibrox on Sunday.

The two sides will battle for a place in the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup, making the fixture an important opportunity for both clubs to claim an early piece of silverware and secure bragging rights over their biggest rivals.

The opening weeks of the campaign have produced contrasting but also surprisingly similar stories for Rangers and Celtic. Martin O’Neill’s Celtic have made a perfect start in the Scottish Premiership, winning each of their first six league matches.

However, their European campaign ended in disappointing fashion. Celtic appeared to be in control of their Champions League play-off against LASK after securing a convincing 3-0 victory in the opening leg.

That advantage was dramatically overturned in the return fixture, however, as the Austrian side produced a stunning 5-1 victory. The result saw Celtic eliminated from the Champions League, with O’Neill’s team now dropping into the Europa League.

Rangers, meanwhile, will have no European football to look forward to after their qualifying campaigns ended unsuccessfully. The Light Blues were unable to progress through either the Europa League or Europa Conference League qualifying stages.

Rangers recover after difficult league beginning

Derek McInnes’ Rangers also endured a difficult opening to their domestic campaign.

The Ibrox club managed only one point from their first two Scottish Premiership fixtures, creating some early concern about their form and raising questions over how quickly McInnes could get his team performing consistently.

Since then, however, the situation has changed considerably.

Rangers have responded with four consecutive victories, building momentum at an important stage of the campaign. Their latest success came on Wednesday when they defeated St Mirren 1-0.

That run of results has lifted the mood around Ibrox, and Rangers will now attempt to carry their improved form into Sunday’s cup clash against Celtic.

With a place in the next round at stake, neither side will want to lose the first derby of the season. The opportunity to knock out their biggest rivals while moving closer to a trophy makes the match even more significant.

Mika Baur becomes latest Celtic concern

Although the season is still in its early stages, both managers already have several injury and availability problems to consider.

The latest concern for Celtic involves Mika Baur, who missed training on Friday.

The timing of the absence will naturally worry supporters because Baur had only just played a decisive role in Celtic’s most recent victory. The player scored the winning goal in the 1-0 victory over St Johnstone, making his sudden absence from training particularly noteworthy.

However, O’Neill has attempted to ease those concerns. The Celtic manager has indicated that he expects Baur to return to training on Saturday.

Whether that will be enough to secure the player’s place in the starting XI against Rangers is another matter. Even if Baur successfully completes training, O’Neill will have to assess his fitness before deciding whether to start him or potentially involve him from the bench.

Rangers face major injury problems

Rangers have arguably suffered the heavier injury burden during the opening weeks of the campaign, with several players expected to miss the Old Firm encounter.

Youssef Chermiti is already facing a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an ACL injury during last month’s defeat against Hibernian.

The attacking options have subsequently taken another major blow because captain Lawrence Shankland has also entered the treatment room.

Shankland is dealing with a hamstring injury that could potentially keep him out for as long as four months. His absence represents a significant concern for McInnes, particularly because the Rangers captain is an important source of goals and experience.

The Ibrox side will also be without summer signing Daisuke Yokota. The player has undergone surgery because of a groin injury and is unavailable for Sunday’s derby.

Tuur Rommens is another Rangers absentee, with the defender also dealing with a groin problem.

More Rangers players unavailable

Kosta Nedeljkovic is progressing towards a return from his injury, but the defender is not expected to recover in time to feature against Celtic.

That means McInnes will have to continue without the player as he prepares for one of the biggest matches of the season.

Jose Cifuentes is another player who will not be available to the Rangers manager. The midfielder has become something of a forgotten figure at Ibrox and is also expected to miss the Old Firm fixture.

Rangers therefore enter the match with several notable absences, particularly in attack, where the injuries to Chermiti and Shankland leave McInnes with fewer options.

Rangers absentees

• Youssef Chermiti — ACL injury
• Lawrence Shankland — Hamstring injury
• Tuur Rommens — Groin injury
• Daisuke Yokota — Groin injury
• Kosta Nedeljkovic — Foot injury
• Jose Cifuentes — Unavailable

Celtic also missing several players

Celtic are not entering the match at full strength either.

Landon Emenalo is unavailable, while Jota continues to recover from an ACL injury and will not take part in the derby.

Hyun-Jun Yang is another player who will miss the game because of international commitments.

Callum Osmand is also unavailable as he continues to deal with an ankle problem, while Alistair Johnston is ruled out because of a hamstring injury.

Those absences mean O’Neill also has important selection decisions to make before taking his Celtic team to Ibrox.

Celtic absentees

• Landon Emenalo — Unavailable
• Jota — ACL injury
• Hyun-Jun Yang — International duty
• Callum Osmand — Ankle injury
• Alistair Johnston — Hamstring injury

Carter-Vickers provides positive news

There is at least some encouraging news for Celtic ahead of the derby.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is expected to be available for selection after missing the team’s recent 1-0 victory over St Johnstone.

His potential return would provide O’Neill with an important defensive option for a fixture in which experience and composure at the back could prove crucial.

The defender’s availability could also help Celtic cope with the attacking threat Rangers can still provide despite their injury problems.

A crucial early-season derby

Sunday’s Old Firm clash arrives with both teams possessing reasons to feel confident.

Celtic have won all six of their Scottish Premiership matches, while Rangers have recovered impressively from their poor start by recording four consecutive league victories.

For Celtic, the match offers an opportunity to respond to the disappointment of their Champions League elimination and continue their strong domestic form.

For Rangers, victory would provide further evidence that McInnes has successfully turned around the club’s difficult opening weeks. Eliminating Celtic from the League Cup would also represent a major boost to the manager and his players.

However, injuries could play a decisive role.

With 11 players listed as unavailable between the two clubs, both managers face selection headaches. Rangers have been particularly affected by injuries to key attacking players, while Celtic will be anxiously monitoring Baur after his missed training session.

O’Neill remains hopeful that Baur will train on Saturday, but whether that will be enough for him to feature at Ibrox remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, Carter-Vickers’ expected return gives Celtic some welcome defensive reinforcement.

With a place in the Scottish League Cup semi-finals on the line, the first Old Firm derby of the season promises to be a fiercely contested encounter. Both Rangers and Celtic will believe they have enough quality to win, but the growing list of absentees could make squad depth and late fitness decisions just as important as form when the two Glasgow giants finally meet at Ibrox.