On Rangers' decision to not take the knee today, captain James Tavernier tells Sky Sports: "The message isn't strong enough. We believe standing up will send a bigger message that we need action.

"All our black players have received racial abuse this season. That's from social media platforms. This a clear message to them as well.

"We've had enough of it."

Billy Dodds
Former Scotland striker on BBC Sportsound

Speaking to Sky Sports, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard on completing an unbeaten league campaign: "Of course it's been mentioned but it's not something we've sat down and spoke with the players about. It's obviously something we'll try to achieve but in the short term we will just focus on it one game at a time.

"The Scottish Cup now becomes our big focus for the rest of the season."

Speaking to BBC Sportsound, interim Celtic manager John Kennedy: "This is not a meaningless derby, there never is one. It's a good opportunity for us to send out a message that we're coming strong again.

"We want to start the game with real intensity and hopefully put Rangers on the back foot early.

"Last time (against Dundee Utd) we played well, created lots of chances we just didn't put the ball into the back of the net. We've worked on that a lot this week hopefully it pays off."

On stopping Rangers unbeaten season:

"We have to think about ourselves today not the consequences for Rangers. We have to go out and try to get a positive result."

Pat Bonner
Former Celtic goalkeeper on BBC Sportsound

Speaking to Sky Sports, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard: "I didn't have to speak to Glen [Kamara] because I know him well. He'll be desperate to play today but I did chat to him to check his welfare and he's totally fine, he's looking forward to the game."

"We won't take the knee. I spoke to James [Tavernier] and Connor [Goldson] yesterday they've made a collective decision that they're going to stand side by side."

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Scott Brown had a few words for Glen Kamara during the warm-up. A nice touch from the Celtic captain after the ordeal the Rangers midfielder has been through.

I'm sure it will be hammer and tongs once the whistle goes.

Image source, SNS

Rangers are potentially just six games away from completing only the fourth ever unbeaten top flight league campaign.

If the champions were to win all of their remaining fixtures they would equal the record points tally of 106 for a 38-match season set by Celtic under Brendan Rodgers four years ago.

Billy Dodds
Former Scotland striker on BBC Sportsound

Michael Stewart
Former Scotland midfielder on BBC Sportsound

Rangers are going for a fourth straight derby victory and a third successive win at Celtic Park.

Steven Gerrard's first experience of this fixture was a 1-0 defeat at the home of Celtic in September 2018 but now the Ibrox boss has the edge with five victories from nine.

Prior to the former Liverpool captain's arrival, Rangers had not won a derby since March 2012.

"There is a complete shift in terms of the mindset from the first Old Firm game," recalled Gerrard earlier this week. "I have addressed where we were at that moment. You could feel as a manager we probably weren’t ready to win an Old Firm game back then."

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That's right, Celtic will not line up and clap Rangers on to the park.

Why not?

Petty tit-for-tat at its best.

Rangers didn't do it for Celtic when they last turned up at Ibrox as champions.

Former Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers this week encouraged the gesture, saying it would should show "humility and class".

John Kennedy cited Rangers' refusal in May 2019, saying: "Ultimately this same group of players went in as champions and didn't get the respect at that time if you want to call it that.

"I don't think such a fuss was made about it and I don't see it as a big issue," he added."

Image source, BBC Sport

Celtic: Bain, Kenny, Welsh, Ajer, Laxalt, Brown, Christie, McGregor, Turnbull, Elyounoussi, Edouard.

Substitutes: Barkas, Taylor, Duffy, Bitton, Griffiths, Klimala, Soro, Rogic, Forrest.

Image source, BBC Sport

Rangers: McGregor, Balogun, Goldson, Helander, Barisic, Davis, Kamara, Aribo, Hagi, Kent, Morelos.

Substitutes: McLaughlin, Bassey, Zungu, Patterson, Wright, Roofe, Arfield, Defoe, Itten.

Celtic interim manager John Kennedy has just confirmed that neither side will take a knee before kick-off today.

Dundee United and Motherwell did the same yesterday, with the latter saying it had become an "empty gesture" in the fight against racism.

"We spoke to Rangers and agreed we won't do it," Kennedy told BBC Radio Scotland. "It's probably lost it's impact so we will hopefully send out a much stronger message if we stand together.

"Racism and any sort of hate in society but also in football is disgraceful. We want to give any support we can."

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That's Celtic's target right there... Be the first team to defeat Rangers in the league.

"Our motivation will purely be competing against our biggest rivals and putting a down marker for going forward," said interim manager John Kennedy earlier this week.

"We've underperformed at times this season so we need to show the levels we're capable of."

Celtic were 13 points clear of their city rivals when last season was brought to a premature halt, now Rangers arrive in the east end of Glasgow as champions with a 20-point lead. That's a significant swing.

Celtic have lost four Premiership games this season, the same number Rangers did last time.

Rangers have won 28 of their 32 league outings in this campaign and are yet to be beaten.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard had said he would have a "heart to heart" with Glen Kamara about playing today after the midfielder was caught up in an ugly racism row.

Kamara has gone public with the "vile racist abuse" he was subjected to by Ondrej Kudela and says the Slavia Prague player's denial is "a complete utter lie".

Image source, SNS