The earliest date Celtic could be crowned champions as Ibrox derby and King’s Coronation swing into view

The international break allows club managers and players, those not involved in Euro 2024 and other fixtures for their countries, to take a bit of a breather. And for Celtic fans, possibly the opportunity to dig out the calculators and start working out when they might get the chance to celebrate two-in-a-row under Ange Postecoglou.

The Parkhead side ticked off another fixture in their inevitable march to another impressive Scottish Premiership title. Just nine league games and 27 points remain with the Hoops boasting a nine-point lead – effectively 10 given a vastly superior goal difference of 27 – over their fierce rivals Rangers.

There are four pre-split fixtures with Celtic making the long trip north to Dingwall to face relegation-threatened Ross County. That is followed by a huge home derby clash against the Light Blues – the first of an Old Firm trilogy, including the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden at the end of the month – before a trip to Kilmarnock and the visit of Motherwell. So three of their four games before the split come against sides currently in the bottom four and they’ll be expected to win them all comfortably. They will also be favourites for the derby and a perfect record up until the split would leave them just a derby win at Ibrox after the split – or Rangers slip, depending on which comes first – away from the title.

Assuming Michael Beale’s men continue their own impressive league form – so far unbeaten under the former QPR boss with 13 wins and a draw against Celtic from his 14 Premiership fixtures – then the first opportunity for that would come after the split. The SPFL could, as they often do, opt to make the derby the first game after the split which is scheduled to take place on