Philippe Clement runs the Rangers injury numbers in Celtic contrast as boss doubles down on defiant stance

Defiant Rangers boss Philippe Clement insists he doesn’t have to mind the gap when it comes to chasing Celtic.

And he’s adamant that with a fully fit squad, his Ibrox side are more than a match for Brendan Rodgers’ champions-elect. The big Belgian bristled at suggestions his side have some serious catching up to do after allowing their arch-enemies to saunter off towards yet another title triumph. The meetings between them have been tight alright this season, with Saturday’s derby seeing Celtic edge to their third narrow, single-goal victory this term following last month’s 3-3 Ibrox classic.

But when you examine a larger sample size, the evidence suggests Rangers’ record against their city neighbours is trending towards a gulf the width of the Clyde. Three wins in the last 15 derby battles hardly tells the story of a club competing at the same level as Celtic. Clement, though, is perfectly entitled to point out he’s only been in charge of three of those encounters.

And the Rangers boss insists it's harsh to judge him when he’s had his hands tied by injuries. “For me, there is no gap,” he insisted. “If we are both with our full squads, there is no gap.

“A few weeks ago everyone said there was no gap. In points, there was also no gap because we niggled back seven points and we went longer in Europe.

“So when there’s full squads, there is no gap. But when you are missing nine players, it’s a big thing. I heard a lot when Celtic were missing two players and it made a big difference. And it was a big difference when they came back.

“So of course missing nine makes a big difference. Even with two losses and a draw [against Celtic], we have one point more I think in the last six months. No. There is not a big gap.

"But we need