Scottish Gossip: Celtic, Rodgers, Rangers, Gerrard, Hearts, Aberdeen, St Mirren

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Scottish gossip

FOOTBALL GOSSIP

Hearts striker Steven MacLean has turned up the heat on Betfred Cup semi-final opponents Celtic by insisting he wants the Scottish champions to "get pumped" by RB Leipzig in the Europa League tonight. (Scotsman), external

Steven Gerrard says his Rangers team can't be mentioned in the same breath as legends of the past whose European record they could beat tonight. (Herald), external

Brendan Rodgers is battling a Europa League injury crisis in Leipzig tonight but challenged his stand-in stars to prove they can crack it at Celtic. (Daily Record), external

Steven Gerrard has ordered Rangers to seize control of their Europa League destiny tonight — and pile the misery on sorry Spartak. (Scottish Sun), external

RB Leipzig manager Ralf Rangnick has insisted his club, one of the richest in Germany, could not afford to buy Celtic's best young players. (Herald), external

St Mirren's technical director Gus MacPherson has waded into the argument over the Irn-Bru Cup by saying that it is no longer a tournament run for clubs, but a tournament run to support political agendas. (Scotsman), external

Dundee are lining up a move for ex-Ross County and Partick Thistle midfielder Martin Woods. (Scottish Sun), external

Former Celtic midfielder Morten Wieghorst could face his old club as Rosenborg boss in the Europa League after he was named on a three-man shortlist. (Daily Record, print edition)

Steven Gerrard, the Rangers manager, believes following in the footsteps of strident, no-nonsense former Ibrox bosses Walter Smith and Graeme Souness is his blueprint for success, ahead of his side's Europa League clash with Spartak Moscow. (The Times, subscription required), external

Aberdeen have confirmed they have sold their allocation of tickets for Sunday's League Cup semi-final against Rangers. (Press and Journal), external

Influential Austrian midfielder Peter Haring is ready to return for Hearts' Betfred Cup semi-final against Celtic, manager Craig Levein has confirmed. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Lewis Ferguson says he joined Aberdeen to experience occasions like Sunday's League Cup semi-final. (Aberdeen Evening Express), external

The SPFL are investigating Falkirk's controversial recruitment of manager Ray McKinnon, who left Morton for the Bairns three months into a year-long contract at the end of August. (Daily Record, print edition)