Rangers will be without the talents of striker Martyn Waghorn this afternoon.

The marksman is sidelined with a knee injury and manager Mark Warburton says the final has arrived too soon for a full recovery.

"He's a top-class pro and he's been working so hard to try to get fit for the game," said the Rangers boss.

"But I think the match has come seven or 10 days too soon for him. The right thing to do is to do the right thing by Martyn Waghorn." 

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"Rangers come into this game with a lot more confidence. They'll have to play really well and hope Celtic won't be at their best. 

"Rangers will try to get on the ball and play a little bit. To make a game of it, I think Celtic will have to score first."

"If the world is watching, as the hype assures us, then the world had better get ready for a piece of footballing theatre that wouldn't be out of place as some kind of warm-up act for the Jim Rose Circus," writes BBC Scotland's Tom English.

Read the rest of his column, as you munch your way through a hearty Sunday breakfast/brunch here. 

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"You don't have to come here to understand that rivalry. I have seen it many times on television and heard about it. 

"But when you are into it you see that it is even more than you see when you are outside. It was a big occasion and the atmosphere was unbelievable. 

"Scottish football is at its best when you have Champions League nights and games like this.

"Rangers are very clear in the style they play, we are clear how we play so there is nothing new coming up." 

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Celtic winger Gary Mackay-Steven comes in for Colin Kazim-Richards while Dean Shiels replaces injured Rangers playmaker Harry Forrester...

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Both sides make the short trip to Hampden in decent shape.

Celtic are unbeaten in their last 11 outings, while Rangers have not lost in their last four games, a defeat by second-top Falkirk being their only reverse in their last 20 matches.

Mark Warburton's men have clinched the Championship title and with it promotion to the top flight next season.

The last time the sides met?

Celtic eased to a 2-0 victory in the Scottish League Cup semi-final last February.  

Leigh Griffiths and Kris Commons were on target for Ronny Deila's troops that day.

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The oft criticised playing surface at Scotland's national stadium has been the subject of some debate in recent times.

Relaid ahead of this weekend's Scottish Cup semi-final double header, there were fears it would resemble Mickey Rourke's pock-marked face in the film The Wrestler.

However, Hibs and Dundee United appeared to have little trouble on the lush pitch yesterday.

And with the sun putting in appearance over Hampden today, we should be in for a veritable football feast with the ball zipped about the sun-kissed surface with aplomb.

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Former Rangers boss Paul Le Guen is back in Scotland for the first time since his short spell at Ibrox ended in January 2007. 

He's on commentary duty for French TV but took a minute to speak to BBC Scotland, sharing his fond memories of Rangers and Hampden Park... 

"Rangers are back and that is most important. It was a great experience for me. Too short, but maybe that's because I made some mistakes. I was a little bit impatient. 

"I was in this stadium when Scotland beat France, which was a good day for you but not so bad for us because the atmosphere was so amazing. 

"Even if we lost, you keep in mind all of the stadium singing the Proclaimers. It was amazing!"

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Are you heading to Hampden for Le Crunch? If not, where are you watching it?

Care to share any pre-match superstitions with us?

Are you doing shuttle runs on an increasingly worn out living room carpet? Scaling a mountain to purge the nerves?

Share your thoughts and predictions via text to 80295, tweet @bbcsportscot using #bbcsportscot or visit our Facebook page.

Rangers: Foderingham, Tavernier, Kiernan, Wallace, Ball, Miller, Halliday, McKay, Shiels, Holt, Wilson. Subs: Bell, Law, Zelalem, Clark, Burt.

Celtic: Gordon, Bitton, Brown, Griffiths, Mackay-Steven, Boyata, Mulgrew, Lustig, Johansen, Roberts, Tierney. Subs: Bailly, Kazim-Richards, Armstrong, Commons, Rogic, Sviatchenko, McGregor.

Ronny Deila indicated defender Erik Sviatchenko would be given up to the last minute to prove his fitness as he battles to overcome a thigh injury. 

Rangers will be without Martyn Waghorn, Harry Forrester through injury and the cup-tied Michael O'Halloran and Billy King.