Elyounoussi eager for Rangers to feel the pain this time...

S O RangeRS have an i mpressive — even intimidating — defence, you say? Mo elyounoussi doesn’t sound overly concerned.

Having played just once against Celtic’s main domestic rivals, l i mping through l ast season’s League Cup final win with a broken toe, the norwegian international is obviously eager to get stuck into today’s lunchtime clash.

The on- l oan Southampton attacker will be a key figure in the home side’s attempts to break the visitors’ back line at Celtic Park.

With Steven gerrard’s men having broken a 114-year- old Scottish record for consecutive clean sheets to start the season, that won’t be easy. even now, Rangers have conceded only four goals in 13 domestic and european fixtures.

Yet elyounoussi insisted: ‘I see gaps. any time you analyse, you can always see strengths and weaknesses. There is space to open up and to hurt them.

‘We look at them — but it’s about what we can produce. We have just finished a good session. The aim now is to produce what we’ve just seen in training.’

everything about the build-up to today’s game feels extra intense because of time pressures, with players at both clubs flying back from international duty from all over the world.

For Celtic, some of those players, first-team regulars and certain starters among them, being forced i nto i s olation by pandemic regulations has further complicated neil Lennon’s preparations. So the bookies are finding it tough to separate the sides when it comes to setting the odds.

With Celtic generally held to be in a weakened state, you could almost say that all the pressure is on Rangers — seeking a second successive away win in this fixture.

‘That’s your point of view,’ said elyounoussi when this was put to him yesterday. ‘I don’t worry about whether there is pressure on them or not. I think about what we can do, what we can produce.

‘We have a strong team so, if someone is injured, we have the depth so someone can fill in and give 100 per cent.’

If closed- door games are now simply part of football, there’s nothing remotely normal about these two teams meeting in an empty stadium.

Celtic fans sent a reminder of their support via a banner draped across the fencing at the club’s Lennoxtown t r aining centre yesterday. a gesture that was appreciated — but not entirely necessary.

‘They don’t need to do that,’ said elyounoussi. ‘ We know they’re behind us. and they know we’ll do everything in our power (to win). But, of course, we appreciate it.’

The norwegian feels like he’s finally getting a chance, while fully fit, to have a crack at Rangers. He said: ‘ The League Cup final, I played with a broken toe, I wasn’t really myself, so I’m obviously looking forward to this game.’