Caixinha snubbed Celtic v PSG as he refuses to let Old Firm circus distract him

SO thin on the Champions League ground did he believe Old Firm clash clues would be, Pedro Caixinha elected to snub the chance to check out Celtic last midweek. As PSG’s £400million strikeforce offered a few hints on how to unlock the Bhoys defence, Caixinha tuned in to Sporting’s 3-2 victory at Olympiakos.

So intent is he on ensuring his squad’s focus does not stray too far ahead of itself, the Rangers manager stressed he will not be turning attention to preparing his team for the first clash with Brendan Rodgers’ side this season until two days before the Ibrox tie. The blinkers must be applied, first, to successfully deal with a Betfred Cup quarter-final against Partick Thistle on Tuesday.

Caixinha said: ‘Celtic will not play the same way they did against PSG. Do you think so? I don’t think so. I’m going to watch it next week.

‘I wanted to enjoy a game without working. And to see how the Portuguese teams are doing.

‘I watched the Sporting game because I couldn’t catch Benfica against CSKA, which was important as we are going to play them on October 6.’

The Ibrox boss was referring to the friendly teed up in Ontario, Canada, during the international break to compete for the Eusebio Cup. There will be much to ponder on the long-haul trip if Caixinha’s approach to the visit of Rodgers and his domestic destroyers contributes to another hefty home defeat.

The comprehensive 5-1 loss in April rounded off a miserable season of derby combat for Rangers, with Clint Hill’s late equaliser at

Geltic Park to claim a draw under Graeme Murty’s guidance the only source of comfort. Of the Rangers starters that afternoon, only Kenny Miller, Wes Foderingham, James Tavenier and Josh Windass are likely to be on the pitch for kick-off five months on. Neither that quartet nor the new boys fresh to the occasion will suffer from overexposure to the fixture for days in advance.

‘I will have just two days,’ said Caixinha (pictured). ‘We play Tuesday, we are off on Wednesday. That’s the plan. The boys who are playing on Tuesday need two days to recover. So, until I arrive there, I need to collect information. I have enough time to think about it.

‘I cannot stop the noise but I can avoid it getting on my mind. I just focus on the games and the process. I don’t care about the circus that surrounds the game.’

Every fan loves to crown a debutant hero on Old Firm day. For Rangers, there are a host of new faces aiming to endear themselves further to the home crowd.

While Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos has obvious claims to be that man following his hot streak, the main source of the Ibrox side’s early-season goals is shaping up to be one of the major upgrades from the last meeting with Celtic.

Daniel Candeias has proven to be a rich source of creativity from the right flank, operating in tandem with James Tavernier.

‘We spoke last season about wanting more pace out wide and we have it now, especially on the right wing,’ said Caixinha of his summer signing from Benfica. ‘There’s aggression, speed, and they’re ready to perform. The players are gaining knowledge about one another.’