As reported by The Daily Record, Celtic are attempting to reschedule their postponed clash with Dundee last night for next Wednesday, AHEAD of their trip to Ibrox next weekend.
What’s the story?
While they have a game in hand on the Gers, the Hoops are just six points ahead of Graeme Murty’s side, making the derby at Ibrox a very tasty prospect indeed.
Rescheduling the match against Dundee for next mid-week would give Celtic a chance to have a nine-point buffer, taking some of the pressure off the Rangers clash.
It would also allow a key first team member, Mikael Lustig, to serve a suspension he received after two yellow cards against Aberdeen on Sunday.
The Daily Record report that because of these issues Celtic Park chiefs are looking to play the game next Wednesday, with a decision expected to be reached today.
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Would Celtic miss him?
There’s no doubting that the Swedish international is a dressing room leader at Celtic, something key whenever heading into these types of clashes against Rangers.
However, his formed has dipped in recent months and the players has been coming under increasing criticism from supporters for lacklustre displays.
With Cristian Gamboa and Anthony Ralston waiting in the wings, the pressure is on Lustig to put in the kind of performances that made him a fan favourite in the first place.
How much they’d miss him depends on what tactical approach Brendan Rodgers decides to stake, with just Lustig really ideally suited to play on the right hand side of a three-man defence.
Rodgers would likely be the first to say he’d prefer to have the Swede available, trusting him to make 40 appearances this season, so that’s probably the primary reason for wanting to reschedule the Dundee game for next week.
When it comes to the derby against Rangers, experience goes a long way and Lustig has it in him to perform to a high standard at Ibrox.