Derek McInnes is preparing for the biggest game of his short time in charge at Ibrox, with Celtic arriving this Sunday for a Premier Sports Cup quarter-final. This update reflects the picture as of mid-September 2026, with both clubs through their midweek league fixtures and full attention now on the derby.
McInnes takes charge of his first Old Firm fixture as Rangers manager, and it comes with an unusual twist: no away supporters will be inside Ibrox for kick-off. Few new Rangers managers have faced a maiden derby in quite that setting, and it adds another layer to an already pressurised occasion. Behind the scenes, the squad has had a team bonding moment before the derby as McInnes looks to settle his group ahead of Sunday.
1. Updated introduction: McInnes prepares for derby showdown
The build-up has been dominated by team news and preparation rather than any late change of plan from either bench. Rangers go into the tie with confidence after a strong midweek result, while Celtic have had to regroup quickly following a testing week in Europe.
For a fuller account of how the fixture was set up, our original report on the Premier Sports Cup tie covers the initial build-up in more detail.
2. Match context and domestic form
Rangers head into Sunday off the back of a Scottish Premiership win over St Mirren in midweek, giving McInnes a solid platform before the derby. That result has kept the mood inside Ibrox positive, with the manager able to assess his options against domestic opposition before facing Celtic.
Celtic, meanwhile, secured a 1-0 win away at St Johnstone on Wednesday night. That victory came only days after their elimination from the Champions League at the hands of LASK, and it will have offered some reassurance domestically even as European disappointment lingers.
Squad planning away from matchday has also shaped both clubs’ thinking this season. At Ibrox, that has included the club’s goalkeeping succession plan and continued work on McInnes’ rebuild plans at right-back, both of which feed into the options available to the manager this weekend.
3. Broadcast details and match officials
Sunday’s quarter-final will be shown live on Premier Sports 1 in the UK. Coverage begins at 11am, building towards a midday kick-off at Ibrox.
Nick Walsh has been appointed referee for the derby. He is assisted by Frank Connor and Daniel McFarlane on the touchline, with Andrew Dallas operating the VAR system and Steven McLean assisting him. Kevin Clancy takes up the role of fourth official.
4. Latest injury updates for Rangers vs Celtic Premier Sports Cup quarter-final
Neither Rangers nor Celtic have issued an official injury list ahead of Sunday’s quarter-final. Based on currently verified squad logs, no players from either side have been formally ruled out beyond the team news already confirmed for their midweek matches.
That means supporters should be cautious about any specific absence being reported elsewhere until one of the clubs confirms it directly. What can be said with confidence is that both Rangers and Celtic fielded competitive lineups in their respective wins over St Mirren and St Johnstone, with nothing in the available match updates pointing to a fresh fitness concern from either camp since midweek.
As with any derby, team news is likely to firm up closer to kick-off. Until then, the safest position is that squad availability looks broadly unchanged from the sides that started in midweek.
5. What happens next
Sunday’s outcome will shape the next stage of both clubs’ campaigns. The winner moves into the last four of the Premier Sports Cup, while the loser turns full attention back to the Scottish Premiership title race.
For McInnes, the derby is another marker in his early months at Ibrox, coming alongside the longer-term squad decisions already under way behind the scenes. Rangers supporters will be watching closely to see how their new manager handles the step up to Old Firm football, in a fixture unlike any he has taken charge of before.
