Callum McGregor ‘remarkable’ recovery sees Celtic captain in with derby chance as Brendan Rodgers rates return chances

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers insists a late call will be made on Callum McGregor's availability for Sunday's mammoth Old Firm meeting with Rangers.

The Hoops skipper has been out of action since the end of February with an Achilles problem suffered in the 7-1 win against Dundee that has seen him miss the last four games as well as Scotland's recent friendly double header against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland. But Irishman Rodgers is hopeful that the 30-year-old will be able to play some part of the potential title decider at Ibrox, with Celtic going into the game with a narrow one point lead at the top of the Premiership.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "He has just got one more day to get through. He has made a remarkable recovery. He is obviously not match fit because he has been out for a while but we are hoping that he will be involved in the game.

"He has probably come back 3-4 weeks ahead of schedule so that shows you the work and professionalism that he puts into his preparations. All being well he gets through Saturday and we'll have a clean bill of health for the first time all season.

"We wouldn't risk him for this game. We have to be sensible. It's not like its a cup final as there are still more games to come which we hope will all be important. But we have a sense where he is at and can take it from there."

The champions are looking for a third straight win against their bitter rivals, having claimed a 1-0 victory at Ibrox back in September and a 2-1 triumph at Celtic Park on the penultimate day of 2023. However, Rodgers has once again claimed that the narrative written about his team means they still go into the clash as underdogs despite their position at the top of the league.

He added: "We went