Philippe Clement is excited rather than nervous about Sunday’s keenly-awaited Old Firm game at Ibrox.

Rangers are one point behind reigning cinch Premiership champions Celtic with a game in hand as title race tensions increase by the week.

It is the first of eight remaining league fixtures for the Govan side, who are desperate to wrest the title back from Parkhead and it is the first home Glasgow derby for the Belgian boss.

Asked if there were any nerves from within heading into the game, Clement said: “No, I love it. I’m not nervous, I’m excited about it, I’m looking forward to it.

“This is something you need to embrace, not be nervous about. These are great afternoons.

“I have a lot of confidence in my squad and I have a lot of confidence in our fans so those are the challenging moments because you play against a good team who will do their best to beat you and there will be a lot of quality from both sides.

“It’s the only way also to grow as a player, to have challenges, to have tough games, to play against good opponents.

“If you make the next steps into that you go to another level and that’s what I want to do with this club and with the squad next season – to become better and to raise the level time after time with a lot of success and maybe some disappointments along the way because that’s also the way to success. To learn lessons out of that.

“I prefer to have success on Sunday, let’s be clear about that.”

Clement admits Rangers will need to keep an eye on Celtic captain Callum McGregor, who is expected to return from injury to the Hoops midfield where he was instrumental in guiding his side to a 1-0 win at Ibrox in September – when Michael Beale was Gers boss – and a 2-1 victory at Parkhead in December.

He said: “I don’t totally agree that he dominated the play at Celtic Park. There were moments that he was good on the ball but there were also moments where he wasn’t dominating the game.

“I think my midfielders also dominated the game in moments. I saw the first game and it’s true he was dominating but I don’t need to say too much about that.

“He’s a very good player and he’s somebody with a lot of quality.

“He’s really good on the ball and he’s very important for their team so it’s important to take that strength out of their team and that’s one part you need to do but it’s not only about one player. They have a lot of good players.”

Brendan Rodgers believes Celtic are coming to the boil nicely for the title run-in as he prepares to welcome captain Callum McGregor back for Sunday’s mouthwatering showdown with city rivals Rangers.

The Hoops have been hindered by injuries to key men throughout the campaign but the possible return of winger Luis Palma and their influential skipper could restore them to full strength for the trip to Ibrox.

McGregor has been sidelined for the last four matches with an Achilles issue sustained in the 7-1 win over Dundee at the end of February, and Rodgers is relishing the prospect of having the 30-year-old back in the frame at a time when Celtic hold a one-point advantage over a Gers side with a game in hand.

“We’ll do one final run with Callum tomorrow in our last session but he’s done remarkable to be back, he’s way ahead of schedule from what we thought,” said Rodgers, who cut a relaxed figure during his pre-match media briefing on Friday.

“It just shows you his professionalism and how hard he’s worked so he’ll be involved in the squad, and if he is, then it’s great news for us in every capacity because we’ll have a clean bill of health, really, for probably the first time this season. But we’ll make a final call on that tomorrow.

“He’s the type of player who can probably get by at 80 per cent. He has that level, that quality. But you also have to think about the fact there are remaining games throughout the season.

“It’s just about being logical and finding out where he’s at with all his tests and measurements. He’s been training, and clearly his quality is there, but we just have to gauge whether he starts, whether he comes into the game or what involvement he has.”

Celtic won 1-0 on their last visit to Ibrox back in September without influential players like Cameron Carter-Vickers and Reo Hatate, so Rodgers – who clearly feels his team have adopted the role of underdogs in the title race – is heartened by the prospect of going across the city with his full squad available.

“The squad is much stronger (than September),” he said. “Just piecing together what the team and bench might be, we are going to have a bench that can really affect the game if needed.

“That power, pace and quality. We have a lot of tools that we didn’t have available earlier in the season but still, the mindset is important in these games and we go with a positive mind.

“They’re always big games and that’s what I’ve always relished and loved. Celtic v Rangers, Rangers v Celtic, they’re always fantastic games. The storyline for me is always about opportunity.

“I go back to the first game (at Ibrox). It wasn’t just a good lesson in football, but also in life because in that first game individually, collectively, as a club we were written off arriving into Ibrox, and it feels as if the narrative is pretty much the same, even though both teams are on four wins and a loss from their last five games.

“For me, it’s about the opportunity to go there and, like what we did earlier in the season and what we have done on a number of occasions, show that we have that mentality to get through any difficult moments in the game for us, but then come through in the end. That will be our focus this weekend.”

With another derby to come at Celtic Park after the split, Rodgers does not see Sunday’s game as make-or-break for either team.

“There will still be six games for us, so there are still a lot of games,” he said. “It might not seem a lot of games but it is a lot of games in a football context because so much can change in those six games.

“My focus is purely on getting a positive result and then we can assess it afterwards.

“This is an important game for both teams. Our mindset is to go and do what we did earlier in the season, which is to win.”

Livingston have expressed concern that Celtic fans broke pre-match agreements by entering the pitchside area to unveil two “unapproved” banners in their stadium during Sunday’s match between the teams.

As they usually do, the Lions allocated three of the four stands at the Tony Macaroni Arena to the Hoops in order to fill the ground and generate revenue.

However, the situation backfired on Sunday when several visiting supporters left the stands to stand in front of the advertising boards and roll out a huge banner along the side of the pitch commemorating the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, which read ‘Born into slavery, they were Freedom’s Sons’.

Another banner was unfurled behind one of the goals at half-time that read ‘Hold on to our title Bhoys. Don’t Give up The Dream’.

Livingston released a statement on Wednesday addressing a situation that angered many of their supporters.

“Prior to this fixture, a visiting supporters group called ‘The Green Brigade’, via the Celtic SLO (supporter liaison officer), requested a Tifo display in all three stands allocated to the Celtic support and to have a banner displayed along the front of the East Stand,” it read.

“The banner was to read ‘You Play for Us and We’ll Sing for You’.

“This request was refused and instead permission was granted for a Tifo and banner display in the South Stand only.

“This matter was discussed at the pre-match meeting, held in the week leading up to the match, where representatives from the club, Celtic FC, Amberstone (our steward company) and a delegate from the SPFL were all present.

“The agreement for a Tifo and banner display in the South Stand was understood by all in attendance.

“On match-day around an hour prior to kick off, a further request for a Tifo display in all three stands was requested by the same visiting supporters group and was again refused.

“Against the instruction of the club and police, the banner was allowed into the ground, unchecked, through an emergency gate that was opened due to safety concerns.

“The banner was then displayed along the front of the East Stand – again, against the agreed procedure.

“It was then deemed that this banner and the Tifo display would be allowed to continue on the grounds of public safety for those in the ground and to prevent further disorder that may have delayed the kick off or jeopardised the game going ahead.

“At the start of second half a further unapproved banner was then unfurled. The banner itself wasn’t an issue as such, however, again, visiting supporters were permitted access trackside to display the banner which is wholly and utterly unacceptable.

“Full discussions are ongoing with external partners who were working at the stadium on Sunday to find out why a number of these incidents were allowed to happen and what steps will be taken to ensure there is no repeat in future fixtures.”

Despite Sunday’s issues, manager David Martindale said he would still prefer to see Livi’s stadium packed with Old Firm fans.

“I think the situation could have been dealt with better on Sunday,” he said, speaking at his media briefing on Wednesday. “But for me, would I rather have a stadium with 8000 Old Firms in it? Yep, all day long.

“It brings its own problems at the same time, but I think it brings a great atmosphere to the game of football.

“Since it came into the Premiership, a lot of the club’s business model has been based on away fans. Some folk won’t like hearing that, but at the end of the day those away crowds probably make up about 33 per cent of our turnover.

“Even if we take the finances out of the equation, I’d still want to fill those three stands, whether it’s with home fans or away fans, because for me that’s football.

“I want to be working in those high-pressured environments with great atmospheres.”

John Kennedy believes the return of creative spark Reo Hatate has given Celtic a huge boost ahead of Sunday’s showdown with title rivals Rangers.

The influential Japanese midfielder made his first appearance for the Hoops in three months when he started Sunday’s 3-0 win away to Livingston after being sidelined with a calf problem.

Hatate shone in West Lothian and was heavily involved in the opener – an own goal by Livi’s Jamie Brandon – as Celtic moved a point clear of Gers, who have a game in hand, ahead of Sunday’s mouth-watering top-of-the-table clash at Ibrox.

“He was on it right from the first minute and he has been in training, which is why the gaffer thought to get him in the team quickly,” said assistant manager Kennedy.

“He’s been terrific the last few weeks. He came back in in good condition and worked really hard.

“We had the game last week (a bounce game against St Mirren) to give him some minutes and he was really good, so it was time to unleash him.”

Kennedy feels Hatate can help make the difference for Celtic as they bid to retain the title over the closing seven games of the campaign.

“I think that’s always the case with your best players,” he said. “He’s shown that, in terms of big games and big performances.

“He’s obviously not fully up to speed but I think we could see (against Livingston) that he’s in pretty good condition, and it’s just the confidence he brings to the team as well.

“He plays with that composure. Even on a difficult pitch, you could see how he brings a calmness to the game. He sees the passes which the front players thrive on and he gives us a slightly different dynamic.

“It’s important to have him back. It’s just about getting him through the week now, getting him that extra bit fitter going into next week.”

Celtic have been hindered this season by injuries to a string of key players including Hatate, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston and captain Callum McGregor. However, with McGregor aiming to return at Ibrox, the Hoops hope to be at full strength for the run-in.

“The squad is taking shape,” said Kennedy. “Cam has another 90 minutes under his belt and with Reo back in we’ve pretty much got a full bill of health.

“We’re in good shape going into the run-in, but for us it’s just about focusing on performance and maintaining that level.

“It’s been a challenge (with the injuries) but that’s part of football. It happens sometimes, and it’s affected our rhythm and our performances sometimes.

“But in the last period we’ve been very good. We’ve given away one or two cheap goals which has kept other teams in games, but our attacking play has been really good.”

John Kennedy feels cool-headed Celtic are getting back to their attacking best in time for next weekend's title showdown with Rangers after they returned to the top of the cinch Premiership with a 3-0 away win over Livingston.

The Hoops were frustrated in a goalless first half, but an own goal from Livi's Jamie Brandon early in the second broke the hosts' resistance before further goals from Paulo Bernardo and Matt O'Riley helped Brendan Rodgers' side climb a point above Gers, who have a game in hand.

“It was very good,” said assistant boss Kennedy, carrying out media duties as manager Brendan Rodgers served a one-match touchline ban.

“As everyone knows, coming here, especially on a day like today when the sun is out and drying the pitch up, it can be difficult.

“But the boys were very good, very professional. We didn't give Livingston very much at all in terms of territory or getting into our box, which is always important here.

“And in our attacking play, we stuck at it. In the first half we could have scored. We got into some great areas and maybe the final ball wasn't there or things got blocked.

“But we showed that calmness, which is important at this time of year. It's easy to get dragged into panic mode and think that you need to go chasing a win, but we stayed with our performance, stayed with doing the same things. 

“We were relentless and eventually it breaks for you. That's what happened and we came out convincing winners.”

Celtic have now scored 20 goals in their last six matches.

With key players like Alistair Johnston, Cameron Carter-Vickers and Reo Hatate all now back in the mix after injury lay-offs, as well as the possibility of captain Callum McGregor returning at Ibrox on Sunday, Kennedy says the Hoops will be heading across Glasgow in confident mood.

“The injuries have hampered us, but the squad are looking good. You see it in training, you sense it in training, the numbers are starting to come back up, the quality's starting to come back in and the standard starts to raise,” said Kennedy.

“Outwith the Hearts game, when we went down to 10 men very early, we'd scored 17 goals in four games and we've scored another three today, so in that respect it's very pleasing.

“Obviously we want to stay on top of our defensive game and not slacken off and, if we do that, we get performances like that where we dominate games and give nothing away. That's always the objective, to have that level of performance.''

Livingston remain 10 points adrift at the foot of the table and boss David Martindale was frustrated at the way his team let things slip away after the break.

“Probably a game of two halves,” he said. “First half, I thought our discipline, our structure, our application was very good and we limited them to very little.

“That was the game plan obviously, albeit I would've liked to have carried a bit more of a threat than we did.

“Then you go out second half and to lose the goal we lost was probably the story of the season, if I'm being honest. Some bad decision-making.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hopes a derby ticket breakthrough can lead to the restoration of traditional allocations for away fans against Rangers.

The Scottish Professional Football League announced an agreement had been struck to ensure about five per cent of Ibrox and Celtic Park will be reserved for away fans during league games between the Glasgow rivals.

In 2018, Rangers tore up the long-standing convention that saw about 7,500 fans travel across the city on derby days and reduced that figure to about 10 per cent of that total. Inevitably, Celtic followed suit.

The situation developed that neither club accepted tickets for each other’s grounds for safety reasons and Celtic refused Rangers’ request for tickets for the December 30 game, with the SPFL unable to enforce vague regulations over away allocations.

A compromise has been reached that will see about 2,500-3,000 away fans attend games from next season, but not the remaining two games between the cinch Premiership title challengers this term.

Rodgers said: “It’s absolutely great news for everyone. It’s certainly something this club have championed for a number of years. It’s the iconic nature of the fixture and it’s because of the supporters.

“So to be able to get 2,500 supporters into the stadium, and hopefully that can grow as well, but to have them in is everything.

“The game is about the players on the field and the supporters in the stand and, especially in this fixture, this is really what makes it. So it’s absolutely fantastic news and not before time as well.

“The aim at Celtic was never to change it, so if it can get back to where it was before it was changed then that would be absolutely great news for everyone.”

Rangers manager Philippe Clement also welcomed the news.

“Everyone loves football with two sides if fans sing towards each other and to have this atmosphere,” the Belgian said.

“No-one enjoyed the Covid period when there were no fans. That was really difficult.

“For me it was also really strange to play at Celtic Park with no supporters of ourselves, that was a first time for me.

“It was a strange experience. I think everybody, every player, every manager wants both sides in the stadium and football is about that. It is entertainment from two teams so it is a very positive thing from my side.”

The SPFL stated both clubs would provide ticket allocations of “around five per cent”.

“This will be effective from Scottish Premiership season 2024-25, subject to all necessary requirements being satisfied at both Ibrox and Celtic Park,” a statement added.

“It does not affect the remaining two league matches between the clubs in season 2023-24, which will remain at a zero allocation for away supporters.”

The capacity of Ibrox is 50,817, while Celtic Park holds 60,411.

Rangers stated the agreement had been reached “following input from both clubs, the SPFL, local authorities, and the league’s broadcast partners”.

A club statement added: “While this will not affect the two remaining league derbies this season, from next season, both clubs will be required to provide five per cent of their stadia to the away team for Old Firm games only — mirroring the UEFA European match model.

“Rangers’ position has always been for away supporters to be present at these games and with this move, a significant number of our fans will be able to support our team at Parkhead in seasons ahead.”

The Ibrox club stated that alternative seating arrangements for affected supporters in the Broomloan Stand had been identified.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor has a “very good chance” of facing Rangers but will not be risked on Livingston’s artificial surface.

Manager Brendan Rodgers will delay McGregor’s comeback until after Sunday’s cinch Premiership contest at the Tony Macaroni Arena.

The midfielder has been troubled by Achilles pain and has not featured since coming off at half-time during Celtic’s 7-1 win over Dundee on February 28.

Rodgers said: “Callum has been out on the field, but we are not risking him in this game. But he should hopefully re-join training next week.”

When asked if McGregor had a chance of facing Rangers, Rodgers replied: “Yes, a very good chance.”

Reo Hatate is set to make his return after playing only 19 minutes for Celtic since October. The Japan midfielder briefly returned from a hamstring injury at the start of the year only to suffer calf problems during the Asian Cup.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is also expected to play after being left out of the United States squad amid ongoing hamstring issues but Celtic could again be without wingers Yang Hyun-jun and Luis Palma, the latter of whom has a calf injury.

Rodgers said: “Cameron is fine, Reo Hatate is back and available in the squad, which is great news. He has worked very hard, he played a bounce game in the time off and he has built up his fitness.

“Yang has come back (from South Korea duty) with a bit of tightness so we just need to make sure that’s nothing more serious. He played two 60 minutes and a 30 minutes when he was away, so he has come back a little bit tight. We just have to check and make sure he is OK.

“Luis Palma will probably just miss out on this weekend but will hopefully be available soon.”

Rodgers admits Livingston’s artificial pitch comes into his thinking when making his team selection.

“You certainly have to consider it,” he said. “Like, for example Callum, you have to think along that route.

“There’s no doubt it comes into your thinking, especially on the back of an international break when players have been travelling.

“I think we are all hopeful in the future that we will have quality grass pitches here that the supporters can see the best possible game they can, but at this moment we play on the plastic pitch so we have to deal with that.

“Of course that means we have to think about team selection and the welfare of the player, and obviously from Callum’s perspective it’s probably too much of a risk for us.”

Lee McCulloch envisages the cinch Premiership title race going to the last day of the season because he still believes stuttering Celtic have too much quality to let in-form Rangers pull away in the run-in.

The Hoops looked destined for a procession to a third successive championship as Rangers floundered under Michael Beale early in the campaign.

However, Philippe Clement has galvanised the Ibrox side since his arrival in October, hauling them right back into the mix, with Brendan Rodgers’ side dropping points in six of their last 17 games.

Celtic currently top the table by a point, although Rangers have a game in hand, and McCulloch, who played for the Ibrox club from 2007 until 2015, feels it is still far too close to call.

“I don’t see an obvious favourite,” he told the PA news agency as he helped launch a July friendly between Manchester United and Rangers at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh.

“I can see it going as far as the last day. Celtic are getting players back, the likes of Cameron Carter-Vickers, Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate are massive players for Celtic, and you can’t disregard that.

“Celtic have maybe had their ups and downs in the last months and they’ve maybe not played to their capabilities this season but they’re a very good team.

“You can’t just disregard them and say ‘right, that’s it, Rangers are going to win the league’. There’s a lot of football to be played until the end of the season, so it will be interesting to see which players and which team holds their nerve.”

McCulloch noted that Rangers – with 19 wins from their last 22 league games – have “come on leaps and bounds” since Clement replaced Beale but he still feels they must prove they can handle the pressure of a title run-in.

“When you look back at the start of the season there was a disconnect between the players and the fans, so all credit goes to the manager for bringing a togetherness back,” he said.

“They’re now in a tremendous situation where if they win their game in hand they can go two points clear. The Old Firm games are going to be very important but, with just nine games to go, every game is going to be massive.

“I think there is definitely more pressure on Rangers now than there was at the start of the season but there is also pressure on Celtic because of the way they’ve played in the last couple of years and the dominance they’ve had. There is different types of pressure on the two teams.

“The bulk of the Celtic players will not really have had a pressured run-in but you could say the same for the Rangers players as well. It will be interesting to see over the final games how certain individuals and how the Rangers and Celtic squads react to the pressure.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers hailed the “excellent” Kyogo Furuhashi after the recalled striker scored and provided an assist in a 3-1 win over St Johnstone.

The Japanese forward also had two goals disallowed for offside as Celtic moved back to the top of the cinch Premiership, at least until Rangers face Dundee at Dens Park on Sunday.

Furuhashi has been unable to replicate the prolific form he showed under Ange Postecoglou last season but was back in the team following three consecutive substitute appearances and took his tally to 16 this term.

He headed home a 40th-minute opener after beating goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov to Nicolas Kuhn’s cross and then set up the German winger to score in the opening minute of the second half. He also hit the crossbar and generally looked to be at peak sharpness.

“Adam (Idah) has been very good when he came in and that is what Kyogo and every player needs,” Rodgers said. “They need competition.

“But I thought he was bright, his movement was good. Sharp.

“He was very brave at the first goal. He makes a run and comes back onside and obviously some strikers would maybe move their head out of the way with the keeper coming through but he didn’t and he scored the goal.

“And it was a great cross for the second one. He was excellent.”

Kuhn netted his second goal for Celtic and continued to impress following a fruitful first start at Parkhead against Livingston last weekend.

“I think you are starting to see a little bit of why we brought him here,” Rodgers said. “He’s very quick.

“It was just hard for him when he came in, struggling with his teeth and everything medically. But he has shown now that he has his strength back up and he’s training really well.

“He obviously puts in a great cross for the first goal and you see his speed for the second one.

“We always want our wingers to get in the box. He got himself in there and scored a fantastic goal.”

Substitute James Forrest added a third and Alistair Johnston was denied a goal by a marginal offside call after Connor Smith had pulled one back for Saints, after Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers had gone off for a rest.

Rodgers said: “I thought from the start of the game there was a great feeling in the stadium and from the crowd.

“The players started the game well and I thought overall it was a very good performance.

“The only downside was when I made all the changes our pressing went a little bit passive and that gave them a little bit more time on the ball than we would have wanted.”

Saints manager Craig Levein admitted his side could not produce the complete display they needed to get another result at Celtic Park, having drawn in August.

“Our defensive display was really good,” Levein said. “Losing the goal early in the second half was a killer blow but in the first half we restricted Celtic to very few opportunities.

“When we had the ball we just coughed it up every time. It seemed to be constant that we turned the ball over and invited Celtic to have another attack. That was the frustrating part.

“It was about half-an-hour until Celtic had their first shot on target. We restricted them to the wide areas and managed to block any shots and crosses.

“But if you continually give the ball away to a team as good as Celtic, you’re going to be facing attack after attack.”

Levein lost midfielder Sven Sprangler to a knee injury midway through the first half.

“It looks like Sprangler has opened his medial ligament,” he said. “I’ve no idea if he will be out for weeks or months.”

Recalled forward Kyogo Furuhashi scored one and set up another as Celtic went back to the top of the cinch Premiership with a 3-1 victory over St Johnstone.

Celtic took time to break Saints down despite dominating possession and territory, but they went on to create a steady stream of chances before Furuhashi headed the opener in the 40th minute.

Wingers Nicolas Kuhn and James Forrest netted in the second half against a side who enjoyed a goalless draw at Parkhead early in the season.

The only down side for Celtic was the failure to boost their goal difference, not helped by having three goals disallowed for offside, two of them marginal, and losing a late goal as substitute Connor Smith got off the mark for St Johnstone.

Brendan Rodgers’ side had missed the chance to move top of the table when losing to Hearts in their previous league game and this spell at the summit might only last until Rangers face Dundee at Dens Park on Sunday.

But the Celtic manager will have been pleased with the tempo and creativity shown by his side.

Furuhashi was in for Adam Idah after starting the previous three games on the bench, while Cameron Carter-Vickers recovered from a hamstring issue to replace the injured Liam Scales.

Adama Sidibeh had one long-range effort blocked as the Perth side frustrated Celtic for the opening quarter, but it was clear the St Johnstone striker was in for a lonely afternoon.

The visitors lost midfielder Sven Sprangler to injury with winger Max Kucheriavyi coming on, and Celtic began to wear their visitors down with their first real threats coming from a Matt O’Riley corner.

Luke Robinson twice blocked from Daizen Maeda on the line, the second time sparking a VAR check after the ball hit his upper arm. But referee Euan Anderson was not called to his screen by video assistant Chris Graham.

Kuhn soon played in Furuhashi over the top but the striker shot over with his right foot under pressure from Ryan McGowan.

Robinson produced his third goal-line clearance to deny Tomoki Iwata following another O’Riley corner.

Furuhashi was getting closer, seeing a goal disallowed for a marginal offside call after he steered home Paulo Bernardo’s cross and then getting in behind again only to see his shot deflected over.

Iwata was denied by Dimitar Mitov’s flying save before Celtic made their pressure count. Furuhashi was quick off the mark to beat Mitov to Kuhn’s inswinging cross and head home from four yards.

The goalscorer continued to threaten, stabbing Alistair Johnston’s low cross just wide and then having another goal disallowed for an offside against Maeda.

He turned provider in the opening minute of the second half, darting beyond the Saints defence to latch onto Greg Taylor’s perfect pass and send in a low cross. Kuhn showed good anticipation to net from six yards.

The Japanese striker soon fired a right-footed effort off the underside of the crossbar after being fed by O’Riley.

O’Riley saw an ambitious free-kick tipped over by Mitov before setting up the third goal midway through the second half.

Iwata won the ball back deep in the Saints half and O’Riley quickly spotted Forrest in space. The winger took a touch and rifled a left-footed strike into the corner of the net from 18 yards.

Saints got their goal in the 81st minute. Goalkeeper Joe Hart produced an excellent stop from Stevie May’s header and Smith was on hand to net the rebound.

Johnston soon lashed the ball into the roof of the net following a one-two but the flag went up and the decision was ratified after a lengthy VAR check.

Celtic could have given the scoreline a truer reflection of the game in stoppage time but Mitov saved well from Taylor and Iwata headed over from three yards.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers has been encouraged by the progress of Callum McGregor as he looks to get his captain back to fitness after the international break.

The midfielder will miss his third consecutive game when Celtic host St Johnstone on Saturday as he nurses an Achilles problem, and he was left out of the Scotland squad ahead of the upcoming friendlies against the Netherlands and Northern Ireland.

However, Rodgers is hopeful that the 30-year-old could be available for the visit of Livingston on March 30.

“He is feeling good but he needs to get some clearance work in over the next week to 10 days and we will assess it for the Livingston game when we get back,” the Celtic boss said.

Cameron Carter-Vickers is set to return from a hamstring issue when Celtic host Saints but Liam Scales is likely to drop out of central defence.

“Cameron Carter-Vickers is fine, he has trained and looks good so that’s great he is available,” Rodgers said.

“Liam Scales will miss the game, we think, he has picked up a knock in training.

“He has been so robust, everything about him has been great since he came into the team. Sadly he misses this game because he has played every other minute but he should be back after the international break.”

Luis Palma, Maik Nawrocki and Reo Hatate are also working to a similar timeline while Yang Hyun-jun completes a two-match suspension on Saturday.

Aberdeen have reacted with disappointment over their Scottish Gas Scottish Cup semi-final ticket allocation after their offer to return any unsold tickets was declined.

The Dons have been allocated 19,000 tickets for their Hampden meeting with Celtic while Hearts will say they will receive an identical initial allocation of 21,000 to their opponents, Rangers.

Both of the last-four underdogs had sought a 50-50 split but the PA news agency understands Aberdeen declined the deal Hearts accepted, to underwrite the cost of any unsold tickets.

The Scottish Football Association announced that the Dons would face Celtic at 12.30pm on April 20 with Hearts playing Rangers at 3pm the following day.

A statement from Aberdeen read: “The club requested the opportunity to sell up to 50 per cent of the tickets, with any unsold tickets by an agreed date being allocated to our opponents.

“Disappointingly, this has once again been declined based primarily on historical ticket sales at this stage of the competition.

“As a result, the Aberdeen allocation for this match will be for up to 19,000 tickets, almost identical to the Viaplay Cup final in December, split between the South Stand and West Stand, depending on demand.”

Aberdeen quickly sold an initial 17,000 tickets for their Hampden clash with Rangers in December before problems emerged over a second batch of 2,500 tickets as fans complained over their loyalty points not being taken into account, while the club recalled tickets apparently sold to Light Blues fans.

They sold about 13,000 tickets for the League Cup semi-finals in each of the past two seasons, figures which were taken into account during this process.

Hearts were “delighted” to share their news with supporters.

A statement read: “The club put forward a proposal to secure an equal share of tickets, guaranteeing Hearts supporters the opportunity to purchase seats in Hampden’s North Stand.

“We had to make an extremely strong case for our argument, given the size of our opponents’ fanbase and historic semi-final ticket sales.

“We are, therefore, extremely pleased to confirm that our proposition was accepted, and both Hearts and Rangers will be given an initial 21k allocation of tickets to sell to our respective supporters.

“We would like to thank the Scottish FA for their assistance in this process.

“This gives us the best opportunity to have Steven Naismith and our players walk out onto the Hampden pitch to a sea of maroon, spread out equally and fairly across the national stadium.

“The door has now been opened for as many Hearts fans as possible to attend and, hopefully, have a special day out.

“One condition of this agreement is that the club covers the cost of any unsold tickets from our allocation so it is in all of our interests to sell out and give the team the level of backing that Hearts fans are famous for.”

Head coach Naismith welcomed the news.

“In the semi-final of the biggest cup competition in the country when you’ve got two of the biggest clubs in the country, it really should be (50/50),” he said. “It should be a great atmosphere to be involved in.”

The SFA declined to comment.

Aberdeen have been left disappointed after being handed 19,000 tickets for their Scottish Gas Scottish Cup semi-final – less than the Hampden allocation Hearts have received.

Both clubs sought a 50-50 split for their respective matches but only Hearts had their request granted.

The Edinburgh club say they have been allocated an identical initial share to Rangers of 21,000 seats in the 50,000-capacity national stadium.

The Dons will face Celtic at 12.30pm on April 20 with Hearts facing Rangers at 3pm the following day.

A statement from Aberdeen read: “The club requested the opportunity to sell up to 50 per cent of the tickets, with any unsold tickets by an agreed date being allocated to our opponents.

“Disappointingly, this has once again been declined based primarily on historical ticket sales at this stage of the competition.

“As a result, the Aberdeen allocation for this match will be for up to 19,000 tickets, almost identical to the Viaplay Cup final in December, split between the South Stand and West Stand, depending on demand.”

Hearts were “delighted” to share their news with supporters.

A statement read: “The club put forward a proposal to secure an equal share of tickets, guaranteeing Hearts supporters the opportunity to purchase seats in Hampden’s North Stand.

“We had to make an extremely strong case for our argument, given the size of our opponents’ fanbase and historic semi-final ticket sales.

“We are, therefore, extremely pleased to confirm that our proposition was accepted, and both Hearts and Rangers will be given an initial 21k allocation of tickets to sell to our respective supporters.

“We would like to thank the Scottish FA for their assistance in this process.

“This gives us the best opportunity to have Steven Naismith and our players walk out onto the Hampden pitch to a sea of maroon, spread out equally and fairly across the national stadium.

“The door has now been opened for as many Hearts fans as possible to attend and, hopefully, have a special day out.

“One condition of this agreement is that the club covers the cost of any unsold tickets from our allocation so it is in all of our interests to sell out and give the team the level of backing that Hearts fans are famous for.”

Head coach Naismith welcomed the news.

“In the semi-final of the biggest cup competition in the country when you’ve got two of the biggest clubs in the country, it really should be (50/50),” he said. “It should be a great atmosphere to be involved in.”

The Scottish FA has been approached for comment.

Brendan Rodgers expects Cameron Carter-Vickers to be fit enough to return to the Celtic defence for Saturday’s cinch Premiership match at home to St Johnstone.

The influential centre-back has had an injury-disrupted campaign since undergoing knee surgery at the end of last term and he sat out Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final victory over Livingston as a “precaution” after feeling a “twinge” in his hamstring.

Carter-Vickers has been given the all-clear after a scan, however, and Rodgers is optimistic that the American will be available for the visit of Saints.

“We will have a look at Cam, I think he should be fine,” Rodgers told Celtic TV. “I spoke to Cam at length (on Tuesday), he just feels everything is based from around his knee operation.

“And then also, when you have picked up a few injuries from that, maybe from what is a normal twinge, you get that sensation and think it’s linked to another injury. Thankfully, it doesn’t seem that.

“We’ve had the scan which has come through fine. He’s done some work with the medical team and hopefully he will rejoin the training squad on Thursday and Friday and be available for the weekend.”

Luis Palma and skipper Callum McGregor will remain sidelined by injury until after the international break but Rodgers is hoping his team – who lost their last league game away to Hearts – can get their Premiership title bid back on track when they host Craig Levein’s Saints.

“Craig’s team will be very hard to beat,” said Rodgers. “They will be diligent. Even though we should have won the game earlier in the season (in August), we drew 0-0, we missed chances and they showed courage to defend the way they did.

“In the game up there (a 3-1 win in December), the first half wasn’t at our level, that tempo of the game.

“But once we injected that tempo and took it out of our comfort zone, we took the game to a really high level and it was difficult for St Johnstone to stay with us.

“That is the key for us, maintaining that consistency and mentality to keep the game up at a high level. When we get to that point and arrive at that moment then we look a very good team.”

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers understood why his side did not reach their peak in a tricky Scottish Gas Scottish Cup tie against Livingston after Cameron Carter-Vickers joined Callum McGregor on the sidelines on the eve of the game.

Celtic reached the semi-finals but it was more nervy than the 4-2 scoreline suggested with Livingston twice equalising through Daniel MacKay and Tete Yengi before Daizen Maeda completed his hat-trick in the 86th minute and substitute Kyogo Furuhashi netted deep in stoppage time.

Celtic again missed skipper McGregor, who hopes to return from an Achilles issue after the international break, and vice-captain Carter-Vickers was left out as a precaution amid concern over the troublesome hamstring which has forced the defender out for several lay-offs this season.

Rodgers was also without the suspended Yang Hyun-jun and injured Luis Palma along with long-term absentee Reo Hatate.

The Celtic boss praised Nicolas Kuhn for his creativity and fellow winger Maeda for his finishing, but added: “We didn’t close the spaces anywhere near what we would want and the speed of our game wasn’t what we would want. But I am understanding of that, some of the guys coming in and also the level of players who were missing.

“The players deserve credit, some hadn’t played a lot, Matt O’Riley was ill all week, Stephen Welsh came in at the last minute, Nicolas had one of his first games. There was a bit of disruption, but the guys got the job done.”

Rodgers admitted Celtic gave away “poor goals”, and added: “I think you see whenever Cam is not in the team – with the greatest of respect – the security in the team.

“I don’t have any fears when we have those guys back. I just think there’s a moment in any team when you are missing your best players then you will maybe not be as tight as you want to be.”

The Celtic manager explained the centre-back’s latest absence.

“We were just going through something very, very light and he made a pass and felt something in the back of his leg,” he said.

“He continued to train but we didn’t want to take any risk whatsoever because as much as he wants to play every game, we had this earlier in the season when he said he was OK and then we ended up losing him for more matches. So hopefully it’s nothing too serious, but we had to take the precaution.”

Rodgers also stated that the level McGregor brings to the game to is “beyond what a lot of our players can do”.

“To be fair, it’s a bit like Jamesy Forrest coming into the game, what a joy to see someone come in for that 25 minutes with that quality and the football idea he brought to the game,” Rodgers said.

“Callum is a player that is important for us, so fingers crossed again we can get to the bottom of that and he’ll be available after the international break.”

Livingston manager David Martindale bemoaned a Joe Hart save from Michael Nottingham’s header at 2-2 and hopes his players can take heart from their display as they bid to overturn a six-point deficit at the foot of the cinch Premiership.

“I’m pretty proud of them albeit we’re out of the cup,” he said.

“It’s been a painful season and we’re on a torrid run. I don’t need self-belief, but I can only hope the players take a wee bit of self-belief.

“I thought they were very good in the game, it would have been easy to come here and accept a 3-0 or 4-0 but they didn’t do that. They played on the front foot and managed the game reasonably well.”