Bhoys face a man-sized task

TRANSFORMED from predator to prey at a stroke, Celtic have to adapt instantly to new rigours if they are to remain perched at the cop of the Scottish Premier Division. The Parkhead side, unaccustomed to the role of the hunted, have to stay out of harm's way tonight (Sky Sports 1, 8.0) as Rangers arrive on their doorstep armed to the teeth with their own ambition.

Tommy Burns's team have spent so long chasing rivals who have won the last eight championships that their ability to see off challengers has not even been tested, far less proved. And their lead over Rangers - a single goal - is as vulnerable as gossamer.

But they are in better shape than 12 days ago, when their victory over Aberdeen, while Rangers were drawing at Raith Rovers, took them to the top. Strikers Pierre van Hooydonk and Jorge Cadete and midfielder Andreas Tbom are all recovered from injury. Cadete, however, may have to sit on the substitute bench initially. A hamstring injury has kept him out of for seven weeks and he is likely to be short of match practice.

Rangers manager Walter Smith has restored goalkeeper Andy Goram and winger Brian Laudrup to his squad, but there remains the question of whether they are fully fit. Goram, who has a hip bone problem, will be left till the last minute, but Laudrup who missed the Raith match with a groin strain, will certainly start. Whether or not he can finish remains to be seen.

"Approaching these matches," said Burns, "I feel no difference being at the top of the league. It's nice, but it took us a long time to get there and now the players who achieved that have to show they can go on from there. This game doesn't decide the championship, because there's too far to go afterwards."

Rangers are unbeaten in the last seven Old Firm matches, but have looked uncharacteristically fragile since they won the first of this season's in September. "Our problem has been giving points away too easily to others," said Smith, whose team have lost a five-point lead since that victory over Celtic.

Smith was not so taut with nerves that he could not crack a joke: "This game has been more hyped than the last. If we're still close, the next will be even worse and eventually we'll just blow each other up.'