Boss Gerrard content with cup kick-offs

STEVEN GERRARD has accepted the decision to schedule both Betfred Cup semi-finals on the same day at Hampden.

The SPFL confirmed on Thursday that the matches between Rangers and Aberdeen and Celtic and Hearts would be played on Sunday, October 28.

Rangers host Spartak Moscow in the Europa League the Thursday before the semi clash, while Brendan Rodgers’ side are in Germany to play RB Leipzig.

The call to have the ties one after the other at the National Stadium has provoked an angry reaction from the Jambos and Dons, who face Gerrard’s side at noon live on BT Sport.

Gerrard said: “It would be easy for me to put the world to rights here and give you loads of headlines. It is what it is, we don’t make the decisions and we cant control any of it.

“Other people have made the decisions and we just get on with it.

“We are delighted to be in the semi-final and we are looking forward to it, it is a great game for us.

“It is a unique situation because I don’t know whether people thought we wouldn’t get this far in Europe and it would have been a different solution.

“But it is what it is. The only thing I can say is that we are pleased that we are first on the pitch.

“The Saturday wouldn’t have been fair for us or Celtic and the other two teams wouldn’t have been as affected.

“I am not going to sit here and say I wish Celtic were on the Saturday because my opinion is that you shouldn’t play football 48 hours after a big European tie.

“I don’t think it is healthy for the players.”

It is what it is, we don’t make the decisions