Jullien out for months

CELTIC defender Christopher Jullien may not play for another “six to nine months” according to manager Neil Lennon.

The French defender was injured in the club’s final match of 2020 while clearing a shot off the line in a home game against Dundee United.

At the time, Lennon assessed that

the centre-half would be out of action for “three or four months” but that estimation looks way off now, with the injury more serious than it initially appeared.

Speaking at Celtic’s press conference, Lennon explained: “He’s out for a long period of time.

“Maybe six to nine months and he’s gone back to do some rehab in France.”

MICKY Mellon admits the rewards are “huge” as Dundee United seek to boost their top-six hopes by ending the 100-per-cent home record of runaway Premiership leaders Rangers.

With just four games to play before the split, United are behind sixthplace St Mirren only on goal difference following successive wins over Ross County and Livingston.

Champions-elect Rangers, 15 points clear of Old Firm rivals Celtic, are bidding for a 15th consecutive league success at Ibrox this season and have conceded just once on home soil.

The Terrors were thrashed 4-0 in their last Glasgow meeting with

Steven Gerrard’s men but manager Mellon wants his players to adopt a fearless approach today.

He said: “We know the size of the task, but why not go and give it a good go? Why not go and believe?

“We will go down there full of optimism and believe that we can answer the questions right. And go and be excited about that.

“What an opportunity, look at the size of the prize.

“We all know about the size of Rangers as a football club and the team that they’ve put together. But we’ve just got to go down there and try and be the best versions of ourselves.”

that, despite being impressed with how centre-half Leon Balogun performed out of position after replacing his captain, Rangers could seek to strengthen if he is.

Nathan Patterson, who started in the Group D match against Lech Poznan in Poland in December, is currently self-isolating after breaking Covd-19 lockdown restrictions last weekend and it is unclear what his future is at Ibrox.

“There will be MRI scans set up either later today or first thing tomorrow,” said Gerrard. “I should have more information by Sunday.

“We’ll see what the scan shows in how long he’ll miss. I would have no issue playing Leon there. We’ve also got Ryan Jack who has played right-back previously too. So we do have options. We might have to look at an emergency situation there. But at the moment I’m happy to go with Leon.”

STEVEN GERRARD has revealed that Rangers could look to bring in another right-back if the knee injury James Tavernier suffered against Royal Antwerp rules him out long-term.

Tavernier, who has played in all 41 of the Ibrox club’s games during the 2020/21 campaign, limped off in the first-half of the Europa League last 32 first leg match in the Bosuilstadion on Thursday night.

The defender and his team mate Kemar Roofe, who suffered a calf strain in the opening 45 minutes of the thrilling 4-3 victory in Belgium, will undergo MRI scans this weekend.

But Gerrard this morning admitted that he fears Tavernier could be sidelined for some time and confirmed