Celtic have been given a 'general behaviour' warning by Police Scotland ahead of their League Cup quarter-final against Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday. Manager Martin O'Neill confirmed the police visited the club's training ground for a 15-minute meeting on Friday.
O'Neill described the visit as a timely reminder. He said the police came in for a short meeting to discuss conduct, which he felt was a good and appropriate reminder.
O'Neill's message to players
The Celtic manager said the police did not specifically mention goal celebrations but implied they were concerned with on-field conduct. O'Neill said he does not want punch-ups or excessive celebrations from his players, though he added he would be delighted to celebrate something in the game. He is looking forward to the fixture but admitted it will be strange not having any Celtic fans in the stadium, as the SPFL has ruled there will be no away supporters at Ibrox.
This match is the second Old Firm clash of the season. The last meeting was a Scottish Gas Scottish Cup quarter-final in Govan in March, which Celtic won on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes. Both clubs were subsequently ordered to play their next home Scottish Cup matches behind closed doors and were handed a compensation bill to be paid to whichever team is drawn as the away side in their next respective fixtures.
Squad news ahead of Ibrox
Celtic approach the tie sitting first in the Premiership with a perfect record of wins from their games, giving them a lead over Rangers. Their last result was a win over St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park, with midfielder Mika Baur scoring the winner. Baur missed training on Friday with a knock but is expected to train on Saturday.
O'Neill also provided an update on goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, a late summer loan signing from Wolves who made his debut in that win over St Johnstone. The manager said he had not decided on his team selection and that it was a matter of seeing what Johnstone could do. The manager will have to plan without the currently sidelined Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand and Jota, whose absence is noted on the club's injuries page.
Celtic's recent form shows consecutive wins following a heavy defeat to Lask Linz in late August, a run of results fans can review on the stats page. After the cup tie, the team's next Premiership fixture is away to Dundee United, a match featured in the full fixtures list. The club's strong league position provides a confident backdrop for this high-stakes cup clash.
