Barry Ferguson urges Rangers to address the one Celtic star that’s been the main threat in recent meetings

Rangers icon Barry Ferguson has admitted that he has been a bag of nerves this week in the build-up to this weekend’s Old Firm clash.

Celtic enter the fixture as bookmakers favourites to win as they target a fourth consecutive defence of their Premiership title. However, Ferguson believes there is a sense of overconfidence from Hoops fans around Glasgow and believes his former side are more than capable of causing an upset.

Speaking to the Daily Record, he explained that all five games between Rangers and Celtic were extremely close last season and added that Celtic have lost one of their most talented players in Matt O’Riley to Brighton since the last meeting.

Ferguson said: “The teams played five games last year but there was never more than a goal in any of the results and with Celtic losing Matt O’Riley to Brighton this week, they’ve lost their most potent weapon. Of course, it was looking last night like they were about to replace him with new £11million Arne Engels but I think we’d all be surprised to see Brendan Rodgers throw him straight in.”

“So it will be as you are with the players who have been at Parkhead all summer. I’m not expecting any surprises from them. In fact I reckon I could name their starting line-up right now.

“It will be Kasper Schmeichel in goal, with Alastair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Liam Scales and Greg Taylor at the back. In midfield you can bet it will be Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Paulo Bernardo. The only slight doubt in my mind is over whether it’s James Forrest or Nicolas Kuhn who starts up top alongside Daizen Maeda and Kyogo.”

Of the 11 players at Celtic’s disposal from kick-off, Ferguson believes the one main problem will come from a familiar face in Hoops stalwart Callum McGregor; a player that Ferguson claims is the main source of Rangers’ problems in recent head to head meetings.

“You’ve got to go back to Steven Gerrard’s time at Ibrox since Rangers last got a grip on the Celtic skipper. He’s a fantastic footballer and when you give players like him time on the ball, he'll likely cause you problems.” Ferguson explained.

He added: “Rangers have tried various different ways of suffocating him over the last few years. Tom Lawrence and Todd Cantwell were both asked to sit on McGregor last year in an attempt to stop him from acting as the heartbeat to Rodgers’ team but neither could get close.

“Rangers have tried various different ways of suffocating him over the last few years. Tom Lawrence and Todd Cantwell were both asked to sit on McGregor last year in an attempt to stop him from acting as the heartbeat to Rodgers’ team but neither could get close.”