FOOTBALL GOSSIP
Rangers defender Russell Martin looks set to be ruled out of the Old Firm derby. The Scotland international Martin hurt his back in training, and is rated as a major doubt for Celtic’s visit on Sunday. (Scottish Sun)
Celtic and Rangers will face each other twice within the space of a week next month. The final Old Firm derby in the Premiership this season has been pencilled in for Sunday, 22 April. The clash at Celtic Park comes just seven days after the sides battle it out for a place in the Scottish Cup Final at Hampden. (Scottish Sun)
Celtic captain Scott Brown is crucial to his side’s hopes of victory at Ibrox on Sunday, according to team-mate Erik Sviatchenko, who is currently on loan at Danish club FC Midtjylland. (The Herald)
Hearts manager Craig Levein admits he is deliberately trying to wind up Hibernian in the hope they erupt like a volcano in tonight’s powder-keg Edinburgh derby at Easter Road. (The Herald)
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton says the 6-2 Old Firm derby victory was the “pick of the bunch” of his derby memories at the club. “What it did do though was give us the confidence to believe we could push them [Rangers] all the way and beyond,” he says. (Daily Record)
Scott Brown has laughed off the positive noises from Rangers in the Old Firm derby build-up and insists he’s out to silence Ibrox again. The Celtic skipper heard Rangers were cheering after the Scottish Cup draw put the big two on a collision course next month and have talked up their chances of ending a run of eight Old Firm games without a win.
Brown says: “Yeah they’ve managed to talk quite a lot this week. We’ll just do our usual job and turn up. In the last three games at Ibrox we have been excellent.” (Daily Record)
Preston manager Alex Neil believes it’s time for Graeme Murty to end his role as pretender to the Rangers throne and seize the reins at Ibrox. “Graeme’s message at the moment is about his gratitude and amazement that he’s getting the chance and playing it all down at the moment appears to be working for him,” says Neil.
“He will need to stake his claim. He needs to start saying, ‘Look at what I have done’.” (Daily Record)
Motherwell boss Stephen Robinson believes Richard Tait is the answer to Scotland’s problematic right-back position, and merits a call-up to Alex McLeish’s squad for the friendlies against Costa Rica and Hungary. “Richard has been an ever-present in a side that has been relatively successful and, bar Daniel Candeias, has the most assists in the [Premiership] league,” says Robinson. (Daily Record, print edition)
Alan Archibald is aiming for a Partick Thistle victory against Aberdeen this weekend to boost his side’s hopes of Premiership survival. “We have to take something from the bigger games,” he says. (Daily Record, print edition)
Paul Hartley expects fireworks in tonight’s Edinburgh derby at Easter Road. Hartley, now in charge of Falkirk, says: “It will be interesting to watch the two managers on the sidelines,” he says. (Scottish Sun, print edition)
Kilmarnock winger Jordan Jones has hit back at mangers Derek McInnes and Tommy Wright who have both accused Jones of diving. “If people make accusations, it motivates me even more,” the winger says. (Daily Express, print edition)
Rangers defender David Bates is confident he can help his side extend Celtic striker Moussa Dembele’s barren scoring run in Old Firm derbies to five games when they lock horns on Sunday. (The National)
Dundee United legend Paul Sturrock has been appointed the club’s chief scout in England. Sturrock, 61, will report directly to manager Csaba Laszlo. (The National)
OTHER GOSSIP
Scotland scrum-half Greig Laidlaw insists the players do not suffer from a mental block preventing them from winning away from Murrayfield. Despite the Scots winning just six times in 46 matches away from Edinburgh since Italy joined the Six Nations, Laidlaw says: “In the past we have let ourselves down, we have probably under-performed in certain games.” (The Herald)
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