Alan Hutton has claimed that no Celtic player would currently earn a place in Derek McInnes' Rangers starting eleven. The former Rangers defender made the blunt assessment based purely on recent form as Celtic handle a difficult period.

"To be totally honest and only going on form at this moment in time, I would say no Celtic players get into the Rangers XI," Hutton said. He pointed to the significant number of new signings at Celtic Park who are still adapting, suggesting the squad needs more time to gel under manager Brendan Rodgers.

Celtic's recent struggles

Celtic's form has dipped sharply, suffering three consecutive defeats before the international break. They lost the Premier Sports Cup tie to Rangers, were beaten by Ferencváros in the Europa League, and then fell 1-0 at home to their city rivals in the league on September 20. Despite those setbacks, the team remains top of the Scottish Premiership with 18 points from seven games, holding a two-point lead over Rangers in the standings.

The club invested heavily last summer, spending £31.6 million on six players including record £11 million signing Kasper Hogh. The forward has yet to score in his seven appearances for the club. Top scorer Camillo Durán has found the net three times this season, a tally detailed in the team's stats.

Rangers' rebuild under McInnes

Hutton contrasted Celtic's situation with the impact of Rangers' own summer overhaul, where 14 new players arrived. He praised the work of head coach Derek McInnes, rating the early transition at Ibrox as a seven out of ten. Players like Dan Neil and Minsu Kim have made instant impacts, contributing to a side that now sits just two points behind Celtic.

Beyond the pitch, pundit Hugh Keevins has warned of broader concerns at Celtic Park. He highlighted financial pressures linked to repeated failures to reach the UEFA Champions League group stage, suggesting the club's crisis extends beyond sporting results. "Celtic are in trouble all over the place," Keevins said, pointing to doubts over the manager's future and concerning financial figures.

Celtic will aim to halt their losing run when they return to action away to Motherwell on October 11. The squad, currently led in goals by Durán, will be looking for a swift response to reclaim their momentum. The team will need to improve their goal minutes, having gone 270 minutes without scoring across their three recent defeats. Their next challenge is a trip to Fir Park.

Read the full report at Daily Record Football