In the first part of the season it’s been Rangers who’ve been navigating something of an injury crisis but with Jota the latest to miss training at Celtic the Gers will be hoping roles have reversed.
The likes of Filip Helander, Ianis Hagi, Kemar Roofe and Alex Lowry are yet to kick a ball this season, whilst John Souttar might as well have joined them, and Tom Lawrence certainly has ahead of the World Cup break.
Whilst Roofe and Lowry are expected to return before the tournament in Qatar, Rangers have not had their injury problems to seek with some of the club’s highest earners currently sidelined.
Conversely, Celtic have largely been free to pick from their full complement up until this point but niggling worries have shown up holes in their squad depth and performances as of late have followed suit.
Rangers sit two points off their fiercest rivals and have chipped away at a dominant goal difference over the last few matches as Antonio Colak hits top form and the Gers finally find a rhythm.
Celtic have been without influential centre-back Cameron Carter Vickers, who returned in the weekend’s narrow 2-1 victory over St Johnstone, whilst captain Calum McGregor will be out until after the World Cup at least in a major blow.
Celtic boss tempers Jota blow as Rangers count own injury problems
The Parkhead side have also been rocked by the news that influential Portuguese winger Jota has missed training ahead of the club’s Champions League return v RB Leipzig in Glasgow.
Ange Postecoglou spoke ahead of that game and claims that Celtic will not risk the player if he isn’t fit but suggested the issue isn’t quite as big as many Rangers fans will have curiously hoped.
Of course, Rangers want the opportunity to impress over Celtic with their best XI whilst we’re sure the same is true vice versa but so long as we have players on the treatment table it is something of a welcome sight to see them experiencing the same.
Their recent rocky form also proves that whilst Rangers did come up short in a lot of ways in the early part of the season, the plethora of first-team injuries certainly have not helped.
