Rovers don’t hang about and hope to have Hoops in a spin
The Coatbridge side missed out on yesterday’s League One fixture against Livingston when the surface at the Tony Macaroni Stadium was declared frozen after a morning inspection.
And that means they will now go into their sell-out Celtic tie at Airdrie’s Excelsior Stadium next Sunday having not played for 15 days.
But manager Darren Young wasn’t about to give his players the afternoon off.
“It is a funny one because on the one hand we wanted to play to keep fresh but on the other we have got through the weekend without any injuries which is obviously good,” said Young.
“As soon as we heard the game was postponed, we got our thinking caps on and managed to fix up a lunchtime spin class for the players at Broadwood Stadium, which is just down the road.
“It is not the same thing as a game but it gave the players a work-out and kept their minds on what is ahead of them.”
There is no danger of Young himself forgetting, with the Livingston match having been his last distraction before the attempt to halt Brendan Rodgers side’s bid to win the Treble.
“The cliché is true, you really do have to focus on the next game in front of you. So Celtic had been pushed somewhere to the back of my mind,” he admitted.
“Now, though, they are right at the forefront and that will continue to be the case. So we have a busy week ahead of us.
“We will train at the Excelsior and on Tuesday have a special media day planned.
“I think everyone knows the size of the task ahead because, as Celtic’s results this season would suggest, they are a super team.
“It is a game of football, though, so you just never know.
“You only have to go back a week to look at what Derek Adams and his Plymouth side did against Liverpool.
“To go to Anfield with a League Two side and keep a clean sheet against one of the top Premier outfits was a fantastic achievement – and one we can take inspiration from.”
IGOR ROSSI has said farewell to Scotland after completing a shock move from Hearts to Saudi Arabian outfit, Al-Faisaly Harmah.
The 27-year-old jetted out to the Middle-East yesterday to undergo a medical with his new club and formally sign his lucrative deal in the Gulf.
It is understood that, unlike the departures of Alim Ozturk and Juanma, Hearts did receive a sixfigure transfer fee for Rossi, whose contract at Tynecastle was due to expire in the summer.
A Jambos spokesperson said: “Everyone at the club is sad to see Igor go but he was presented with an amazing opportunity for him and his family.
“Once he had expressed his wish to grasp the opportunity, we couldn’t stand in his way.”
The towering defender made 55 appearances for Hearts after arriving from Maritimo in the summer of 2015.
He becomes the latest highprofile departure of the Ian Cathro reign, following Juanma, Ozturk and Tony Watt out of the exit door.
Hearts, who have already snapped up Lennard Sowah and Aaron Hughes this month, will delve into the transfer market to replace Rossi, while a right-back and attacking reinforcements are a priority.