Bayern Munich captain Manuel Neuer has been ruled out of Germany’s upcoming friendlies against France and the Netherlands due to injury.

Neuer was absent from all of his country’s matches last year because of a broken leg but German media has reported the 37-year-old remains Julian Nagelsmann’s first-choice goalkeeper ahead of Euro 2024.

However, he has withdrawn from the final two tune-ups – against France in Lyon on Saturday and the visit of the Netherlands in Frankfurt next Tuesday – before Nagelsmann names his squad for the tournament.

A brief statement on the German national team’s official website said: “Manuel Neuer has left the German national team early and will be out of the two upcoming international matches against France and the Netherlands.

“The FC Bayern Munich goalkeeper and 2014 world champion left the team’s headquarters in Gravenbruch near Frankfurt due to a torn muscle fibre in his left adductor. He sustained the injury in training on Wednesday morning.”

Neuer earned the last of his 117 national team caps in Germany’s final group stage match at the 2022 World Cup – a 4-2 win over Costa Rica.

Owen Farrell expressed a desire to play rugby for as long as possible as he left the door open to a potential England return and featuring in the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour.

The Saracens star is poised to become ineligible for his country for at least the next two years after agreeing a summer move to French club Racing 92.

Farrell missed this year’s Guinness Six Nations to prioritise the wellbeing of his family but insists his love of the game has never diminished.

Asked about his international future, he replied: “I’ve not said anything. I don’t know.

“I’ve stepped back and there’s obviously a change happening next year (moving to France). Then we’ll see.

“There’s no point in saying anything now because I don’t know how I’m going to feel later down the line. We’ll see.”

While Rugby Football Union rules prevent overseas-based players from representing England, Farrell could still be selected by the Lions for next summer’s series against Australia.

His father Andy Farrell has been appointed head coach for that three-match tour.

“Have I spoken to my dad about it? I’ve told him ‘well done’, if that counts,” said Farrell.

“There’s nothing to talk about – whatever happens, happens. There are no decisions to be made about any of that.

“When it gets closer to the time, I guess things become clear or they don’t. You see how people are at that time. There is nothing to talk about there at the minute.”

Farrell will make his 250th appearance for the reigning Gallagher Premiership champions in Saturday’s derby against Harlequins at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Following last year’s Rugby World Cup in France, where he was jeered by his own supporters, the fly-half opted to step out of the spotlight to spend time with his family.

“Obviously the World Cup was difficult at times but I really enjoyed the playing side of it and being involved,” he said.

“I want to play for as long as I possibly can as long as I am enjoying it.

“I love playing. That’s always been the case, even during the tougher bits as I’ve spoken about.

“I loved the game, and I loved the rugby. I want to enjoy all of it a bit more.

“I’ve been getting back to doing it here at the club, I’ve done that over this time during the Six Nations, and I want to really do that towards the end of the year. And then I want to get better at it next year as well.

“That’s how I think I am going to get the best out of myself and play my best. We’ll see what happens.”

Joseph O’Brien could be racking up the air miles with “exciting” new recruit Rogue Millennium this season.

The five-year-old mare was a star performer for Tom Clover last term, winning the Group Two Duke of Cambridge Stakes at Royal Ascot and finishing second to Tahiyra in Leopardstown’s Matron Stakes at elite level.

Having initially been snapped up for just 35,000gns by the Rogues Gallery syndicate, the daughter of Dubawi was sold for 1,650,000gns in December and will now be trained by O’Brien in County Kilkenny.

In a stable tour on Attheraces.com, her new handler said: “We are very happy with her. She looks great. Her training is all going smoothly, and she’s been impressing.

“She gives the impression that she’ll always appreciate better ground and she shows plenty of pace.

“We won’t be shy about travelling her and have a long list of potential options for her in America where we think the style of racing will suit her. She’s a very exciting prospect to have in the yard.”

O’Brien is also looking forward to Lumiere Rock’s four-year-old campaign, with a crack at his father Aidan’s dual Derby hero Auguste Rodin on the cards in the Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.

The Saxon Warrior filly was a Group Two victor in the Blandford Stakes at that track last season, as well as being placed in the Ribblesdale and the Prix de l’Opera before finishing off with a solid sixth behind Inspiral at the Breeders’ Cup.

“She had a busy campaign last season, but never let us down and kept improving,” said O’Brien.

“We all got a real thrill from her win in the Blandford Stakes, and it was great that her owner Michael O’Flynn was there on the day to enjoy it with us.

“We are looking at the Tattersalls Gold Cup as an early-season target and will drive on from there.”

Irish Cesarewitch winner Magellan Strait has already got off the mark in 2024 with a Dundalk triumph in January and may be heading to the UK in search of more success.

O’Brien added: “He’s a solid staying horse that gave us all a great day when springing a very pleasant surprise in the Irish Cesarewitch.

“He could be one for the Chester Cup. We’ll see what happens between now and then, but the Ascot Stakes or Queen Alexandra Stakes at Royal Ascot would be options for him too.”

Last season’s Queen Alexandra Stakes star Dawn Rising went on to finish third in the Irish St Leger in the colours of JP McManus.

“At this stage, it looks likely that we’ll stick to the Flat with him,” said O’Brien. “He gave everyone a real thrill by winning at Royal Ascot last season and we’ll look to get him back to the Queen Alexandra Stakes again this year. He came back from a break in great shape and we’re looking forward to him.”

Al Riffa has not been seen since chasing home Ace Impact at Deauville last August but the 2022 National Stakes victor is very much on the comeback trail.

O’Brien declared: “We are delighted with him. He was always a tall, rangy horse and has filled out into a magnificent athlete now.

“We were very sweet on him for the Irish Champion Stakes, but a little issue the day before meant we couldn’t run. Everything has gone very smoothly with him this preparation and we are steadily stepping up his work.

“We are working him towards the Prix Ganay at ParisLongchamp in late April. Longer term, I could see him stepping up to a mile and a half.

“He won a Group One over seven furlongs as a two-year-old and has never looked short of pace, but he has the most lovely, relaxed way of going and it will give him a great chance to carry his pace over further if we ask him to. I’d be very hopeful he can win another Group One.”

Among the three-year-olds at Owning Hill, Atlantic Coast is being aimed at the Irish 2,000 Guineas or the French equivalent, while Stromberg could take in a Derby trial.

Rob Page has hit back after Cardiff manager Erol Bulut complained over the lack of communication from Wales about including Aaron Ramsey in their Euro 2024 play-off squad.

Wales captain Ramsey has not started a game for six months and had played only 72 minutes in that time when Page named him in his squad for Thursday’s semi-final against Finland.

Bulut was unhappy Wales did not contact Cardiff before recalling Ramsey, saying he had expected to speak to Page or a member of his management team.

Ramsey returned from a calf strain to play 18 minutes at Swansea last Saturday, and the 33-year-old midfielder is expected to be on the bench against Finland.

Asked about Bulut’s comments, Page said: “I don’t know what all the fuss is about to be honest.

“We just want the player fit, both Cardiff and ourselves.

“We are in constant communication. I trust my medical team. I don’t need to have a conversation with the (Cardiff) manager.

“I know their medical team. Their head of medical was my physio when I was manager at Port Vale.

“Their club doctor is our Under-21s’ doctor. There has never been a better relationship.

“If there is a breakdown in communication, it’s between their manager and their medical team.

“For me, it’s worked. I trust my medical team, they have got him fit and he’s in the squad.”

Chelsea stand on the brink of an “irreversible toxicity” from the fanbase over concerns for the direction of the club, according to the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust.

Despite progress in the cups, Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino has overseen an underwhelming Premier League campaign since arriving at Stamford Bridge last summer.

Chelsea were branded “blue billion-pound bottle jobs” by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville late on during their 1-0 extra-time defeat against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final last month.

Although Pochettino has since guided Chelsea back to Wembley for an FA Cup semi-final with holders Manchester City in April, questions remain over the long-term vision under co-owners Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali in the post-Roman Abramovich era.

The CST wrote to Boehly and Eghbali earlier this month, highlighting how the current lack of engagement or communication by the club has led to an “overwhelming sense of helplessness, frustration and deep concern” among fans.

This, the CST said, had left Chelsea “close to, if not already experiencing, a significant shift in supporter opinion that could result in irreversible toxicity, almost irrespective of results on the pitch”.

During the recent 2-2 draw against Brentford at Stamford Bridge, the CST noted several “anti-ownership chants” could be heard, adding recent dialogue with supporters revealed “a widespread and significant lack of belief in the decision-makers at the top of our club”.

The rising cost of ticket prices, coach travel as well as food and drink in general admission areas was also addressed in the wide-ranging letter from the CST, which called for a “supporter communication strategy” that works for both the club and fans.

In a response from chief executive Chris Jurasek, Chelsea said the club deeply valued “the dedication, commitment and desire from all our supporters” and “strives to be the most successful and admired” in the world – both on and off the pitch.

It added the club was committed to “clear lines of communication and a significant level of transparency”, pointing to the established of the Fan Advisory Board, as well as recognising the concern over rising costs on a matchday.

Jurasek added: “We endeavour to have regular and strong communication with all our supporters, across all our teams, and aim to enhance and improve this connection season-on-season.”

Commenting on Jurasek’s letter, CST chairman Mark Meehan said it “doesn’t really address the issue we raised”.

Meehan added: “There are serious supporter concerns about the direction of the club, and particularly the disconnection felt towards the club ownership, board as well as the majority of the team and the manager.

“We were not questioning the existing supporter engagement mechanisms at Chelsea, including our very open and honest relationships with key individuals such as (director) Danny Finkelstein.

“We were saying that in order to reassure and reset relationships with fans, a much wider form of communication with fans is necessary.”

Meehan’s statement concluded: “A football club belongs to its supporters and the CST will continue to do everything in its power to guarantee that the voices of those supporters are heard from the stands to the boardroom and ensure that Chelsea supporters are at the very centre of every key decision made by the club – we are supporters, not customers.”

Chelsea have been contacted for further comment.

Porto’s Galeno has no regrets over his decision to represent Brazil ahead of Portugal.

The Brazilian-born winger could have played for Portugal having lived in the country for over five years and was expected to be named in Roberto Martinez’s latest squad after an impressive season.

But Galeno, who featured in Porto’s penalty shootout defeat to Arsenal in the Champions League quarter-finals, was instead called up by Brazil boss Dorival Junior for their upcoming friendlies against England and Spain.

It has been the 26-year-old’s dream to play for the country of his birth, and he said: “I’m not going to change my opinion (representing Brazil and saying no to Portugal).

“It’s been a dream since I was a child to represent my country, Brazil. I talked to the manager (Dorival Junior) but even before he called me, I already had the desire to represent Brazil and I’m not going to change.

“I’m going to do my best to represent this shirt. It will be another one to help achieve many things in the Selecao.”

Galeno’s Porto team-mate Wendell has also been selected as preparations ramp up for this summer’s Copa America.

“Me and Wendell have known each other for a long time,” Galeno added. “We will transfer (our skills) to the Selecao, which we already do at Porto. You can be sure that we will do our best on the field and learn from those who are already there.

“We will pass on what we know to them as well. We will give great victories to the Brazilians. It hasn’t sunk in yet that I’m here in the Selecao. I was crying with my family when I heard.”

Brazil play England at Wembley on Saturday – the first meeting between the two since 2017.

James Bell is the first to admit he rode his luck to reach the top of the rugby league world, and that makes the in-form St Helens forward all the more determined to make the most of his time in the spotlight.

The 29-year-old New Zealander has been one of the stand-out performers in the first month of the new Betfred Super League season, emerging off the bench to help wrestle games against the likes of Leigh and Leeds back in Saints’ favour.

Bell’s battle to become an intregral part of Paul Wellens’ new-look Saints squad is the latest triumph on an improbable career path, which began when he seized an unlikely chance with his beloved Auckland Warriors a decade ago.

“I remember sitting on the sidelines at a Warriors game telling my dad that one day that’s what I want to do, but the journey wasn’t easy and it only happened by luck and coincidence,” Bell told the PA news agency.

“I went to watch my mate play in a trial for the junior Warriors but the team they were playing didn’t have enough numbers so they went round the pitch asking for anyone who had their boots and was under the age of 20.

“I was 19 years old and I’d never even made a representative team in my life. Initially I said no, but my friend told me to jump on the field and I scored a couple of tries and had the best game of my career.

“At the end of the game, New Zealand legend Stacey Jones came up to me and said ‘what’s your name and where the hell have you been this whole time?’ I went from nothing to training with the Warriors the next Monday.”

Bell, the fourth oldest of six brothers and one sister who grew up in the Auckland suburb of Papakura – “probably the biggest games I’ve played were in my back yard against my brothers” – went on to make his NRL debut for the Warriors in 2017.

But while his friend at the trial match, Jazz Tevaga, went on make over 100 appearances for the club, Bell was deemed surplus to requirements after just two games, and when his contract expired in 2019 he looked to Europe for the chance to extend his career.

A Scotland international by virtue of his paternal grandfather, Bell first landed at Toulouse after impressing head coach Sylvain Houles in a 2018 international, then moved on to make his Super League debut with Leigh in 2021.

“When I was coming off my contract with the Warriors I was almost begging them to find me something,” added Bell. “There have been a lot of stages in my career where I’ve felt at a standstill with no opportunity.

“But I always knew I loved the game and that I wanted to stick around and keep chipping away and finding opportunities to test my limits. So much of it has been down to chance, that being where I am today feels a bit surreal.”

Bell moved on to Saints later in 2021, initially struggling to force his way into a competitive first-team structure.

But Bell’s persistence, allied with what Wellens calls his “infectious” enthusiasm for the game, saw his opportunities increase, culminating in being part of Saints’ heroic 2023 World Club Challenge win over NRL champions Penrith.

“I’ve had the best pre-season since I came to the club and I think that’s stood me in good stead,” said Bell, who will next feature in Saints’ return trip to Headingley on Friday in the last 16 of the Betfred Challenge Cup.

“I’ve come into an environment where I’m feeling valued, and I think I’ve probably proven to myself now that I am good enough to be here and I do deserve it. It’s given me a vision of where I want to go, and I won’t need to be so reliant on luck.”

Auguste Rodin is set to have a busy first half of the season, which will kick off with a run in the Sheema Classic in Dubai.

Aidan O’Brien’s dual Derby and Breeders’ Cup winner is then scheduled to take in the Tattersalls Gold Cup closer to home at the Curragh before a trip to Royal Ascot, after which connections will take stock.

Being by Deep Impact, a race on dirt would not usually be considered, but O’Brien was so taken by the way he acted on the surface in the mornings when preparing for the Breeders’ Cup, that he is giving the idea some serious thought.

“Auguste Rodin has another bit of work to do before he goes on Saturday, but everything looks good at the moment. It’s his first run of the year but we’re very happy with him,” he said.

“The plan was he goes there, then he could go to the Curragh for the Tattersalls and then Ascot for the Prince of Wales’s.

“After that, we could have a look at a dirt race with him after that, we’ll see how that goes. He could go to Saratoga. The world has gone small now.

“His season will be split in two really, with a busy first half and then a break.

“As a rule, Deep Impacts are mainly turf horses, but we were surprised how well he worked on the dirt at the Breeders’ Cup, he floated over it. He has an unusual action, so it will be interesting to see.”

Another stalwart of the yard due to return is Kyprios, who missed the majority of last season before finishing second in the Irish St Leger and at Ascot on Champions Day.

The usual O’Brien route to the Gold Cup back at Ascot will be taken, with the Vintage Crop Stakes and the Saval Beg early targets.

“It was amazing he came back, I couldn’t believe it. He seems in good form, he’ll go to Navan and then he’ll go to Leopardstown, that’s the plan, the usual Ascot (Gold Cup) route,” said O’Brien.

As for the two-year-olds, none have been named to date but there are several catching the studious eyes at Ballydoyle.

“None of the two-year-olds are named yet, but we think we have two good Justifys, out of two sisters (Fabulous and Butterflies),” said O’Brien.

“We’ve some nice Wootton Bassetts this year, more than we’ve had before. We’re starting (the season) earlier and I was conscious that I didn’t want to have them ready to run in that ground because they have to be very fit, so if they are, they won’t make it through the summer.

“The Wootton Bassett out of Immortal Verse looks very smart, as does the Wootton Bassett out of Ennistymon. We’re just going gently with them.

“Wootton Bassett looks very different, we only had two colts last year and they were both very good – River Tiber and Unquestionable.”

Luke Littler will miss the Nordic Darts Masters in June due to family commitments, the Professional Darts Corporation has announced.

The 17-year-old has had a packed schedule since his astonishing run to the World Championship final at Alexandra Palace, where he lost to Luke Humphries.

Littler was given a Premier League place as a result of his heroics at the start of the year and has also won titles at the Bahrain Masters, Players Championship and Belgian Open.

However, Littler – who will make his US Darts Masters debut at Madison Square Garden in May – will not be part of the line-up in Copenhagen on June 7-8.

Newly crowned UK Open champion Dimitri Van den Bergh will take Littler’s place in the Danish capital.

Shohei Ohtani had two hits in his official Los Angeles Dodgers debut, including an RBI single during a four-run eighth inning that helped his new team rally for a 5-2 win over the San Diego Padres in Seoul, South Korea in Wednesday's opener of the 2024 MLB season. 

Mookie Betts also had two hits and an RBI as the Dodgers got a season of sky-high expectations off to a successful start, though they faced a 2-1 deficit entering the eighth before the offence came to life against San Diego's bullpen.

The Dodgers loaded the bases with none out on a pair of walks and a Teoscar Hernandez single before Enrique Hernandez drove in the tying run with a sacrifice fly. Gavin Lux then reached base on a ground ball that went through the web of Padres first baseman Jake Cronenworth's glove, with Teoscar Hernandez scoring on the error for a 3-2 lead.

Betts and Ohtani followed with RBI singles to extend the lead to 5-2 before relievers Joe Kelly and Evan Phillips held the Padres scoreless over the final two innings.

Los Angeles received a total of four scoreless innings from four relievers after another of its big-ticket offseason acquisitions, Tyler Glasnow, allowed two runs over five innings.

Glasnow did issue four walks in his Los Angeles debut, including free passes to Manny Machado and Korean native Ha-Seong Kim to start the bottom of the fourth with the game tied at 1-1. Jurickson Profar followed with a bunt single to load the bases before Machado crossed the plate on a double-play grounder that put San Diego ahead.

The Dodgers had tied the game in the top of the fourth when Teoscar Hernandez reached on an error and later scored on Jason Heyward's sacrifice fly. 

San Diego recorded the first run of the season in the third when Xander Bogaerts singled in Tyler Wade, who drew a lead-off walk before advancing on Glasnow's wild pitch.

Bogaerts accounted for two of the Padres' four hits.

San Diego starter Yu Darvish worked the first 3 2/3 innings and allowed one unearned run on two hits while walking three and striking out three.

The game drew an announced crowd of 15,952 at the Gocheok Sky Dome for the first regular-season MLB game played in South Korea. The Dodgers and Padres will play again at the venue Thursday, with Los Angeles sending former Japanese league star pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto to the mound for his anticipated MLB debut. 

Aidan O’Brien believes the best is still to come from last season’s Coventry Stakes winner River Tiber.

He suffered a scare in the days leading up to him finishing third to Vandeek in the Prix Morny at Deauville and then filled the same position behind the same horse in the Middle Park.

O’Brien felt he was not at his best in either race, though, and he was also a late withdrawal at the Breeders’ Cup, when he was meant to take on his stablemate Unquestionable in the Juvenile Turf, who ran out the winner.

“River Tiber always worked very good. He wasn’t right in Deauville or in the Middle Park, he wasn’t 100 per cent, so there’s a good chance there’s more to come from him. I think he’s a miler, he’s fast, I couldn’t see him getting much further,” said O’Brien.

“Unquestionable could go to the French Guineas, he’s done very well. He’ll go to Naas on Sunday (after racing) and he could go for a trial in France before going back for the Guineas – and he could be a French Derby horse, he’s not as quick as the others, so he could get a bit further.

“When we went to America with them last year, River Tiber was five lengths better than the winner. He’s not rated that way, but if you put the two of them together, that is what will happen.”

Another promising colt for the season ahead is the unbeaten Henry Longfellow, who could also have the French Classics on his agenda.

“Henry Longfellow could stretch out but he looks like a miler the way he’s going, so how much further he’d get, I’m not sure,” added O’Brien.

“He could be a French Derby horse, as could Diego Velazquez, he might be more that than a Guineas horse, but he’ll go with them (to Naas) as well, so it will be interesting.”

One going further afield is Henry Adams, who is heading to Dubai.

“Henry Adams is lovely and has done very well and he is down to go to Dubai to run in the UAE Derby on the dirt. He’s a No Nay Never so will be interesting on the dirt,” said O’Brien.

As for his Derby team, as usual there are several who at this stage would appear to have all the right credentials.

Leopardstown winner Ocean Of Dreams, from the family of the great Urban Sea, is certainly bred for the job.

“Ocean Of Dreams is getting ready for the Ballysax. He worked yesterday and worked lovely but he’s a bit of a baby because he’s only had one run, so he needs to get out,” continued O’Brien.

“He looks a lovely horse, he won very easily. He has a very good pedigree, he goes back to Urban Sea, I think he’s a Derby trial horse, no doubt about that.

“Los Angeles is a big, strong, powerful horse. He always worked much quicker than he should have been from the day we started working him, he showed loads. He’s very big and shouldn’t have shown as much as he was, but he always did.

“Then he ran in Tipperary and won in Saint-Cloud and Christophe (Soumillon) was impressed the day he rode him. He’ll go for a Derby trial and we’ll see what will happen. He’ll probably go to Naas on Sunday as well. He could be a Curragh (Irish Derby) horse.

“Grosvenor Square could be a very interesting horse. I think he’d have no problem with better ground. He’s not a heavy-framed horse, he’s a good mover. He’ll go for a Derby trial.”

As for the fillies, O’Brien was dealt a blow when news broke recently that Opera Singer, undoubtedly the best prospect in the division, was likely to miss Newmarket, but there are other options.

“Content was impressive last year, she had a lovely run first time but then went to Ascot and lost her way, we had to slow her down and get her to relax,” said O’Brien.

“She won at the Curragh and came home very well (fourth) in the Breeders’ Cup. She could be a very nice filly, you just have to take your time with her, as she has plenty of speed.

“I like Ylang Ylang a lot. She did very well to do what she did because everything went wrong with her the third day, she was too keen. She had to come back to Newmarket and relax but then to go back and do what she did in the Fillies’ Mile, you’d have to like her a lot.

“She could get a mile and a half, she’s out of a Shamardal mare, so there’s every chance she could and the way she likes to be ridden will help her.

“I don’t think if Opera Singer was going to make the Guineas it would have been a difficult choice for Ryan (Moore) though, she (Opera Singer) is very good. What she did in the Boussac…she’s another Justify, set her off in front and follow me if you want.

“The other filly is very good but you have to take your time with her. That’s what makes the Justifys so good, they are so uncomplicated.

“Opera Singer is cantering but missed a few weeks, so I imagine the Irish Guineas would be the earliest, we’d just have to rush her too much otherwise. The year is long.”

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.”