Ange Postecoglou dismisses Celtic's Premiership lead as irrelevant ahead of Rangers clash

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou says Monday’s derby against Rangers is massive for his side but that the nine-point gap between the teams is not relevant.

A 4-0 win at Hibs on Wednesday ensured that Celtic travel to Ibrox on the back of a 12-match winning run in the league but Rangers have put together a four-match streak of victories under new manager Michael Beale.

The significant gap between the teams in the table means Celtic would still have a healthy lead in the title race even if they were to suffer defeat at Ibrox but Postecoglou says he doesn’t care how the table looks and is aiming for a win.

“We have been a fair way in front for a while now and if we were thinking about it like that you probably would have seen complacency creep in,” the Celtic manager said. “But it’s just not relevant to where we are right now and the mindset of this team.

“Every game is an opportunity for us to go out and play our football and win and give some joy to our supporters.

“Whether you are nine points ahead, nine points behind, what does it matter? The next game is a massive game, it’s a showcase game.

“It’s a big game for our supporters, it’s a big game for our football club, it’s a big game for the league. It’s a showcase game. We want to be part of that. We are going to Ibrox, it’s a tough place to go.

“So who cares what the points tally is? It’s a big game to look forward to and that’s what we will do.

“We will try and put on another strong performance and give our fans some joy.”

Celtic expect to have Greg Taylor available for the derby despite the player being subbed off against Hibs with a tight muscle.