Rangers bench is 'weakest in long time' as BBC pundit makes Celtic comparison

Celtic closed the gap at the top of the cinch Premiership to four points this week, edging closer to Rangers two weeks before hosting the Scottish champions at Parkhead.

Each side has two league games between now and the Old Firm match, Rangers against Livingston and away at Ross County with Celtic heading to Tynecastle before hosting Dundee United.

However, with matters becoming a little tighter at the top Michael Stewart believes the difference between the sides could come down to who has the best back-up once the transfer window closes.

Joe Aribo is currently on national team duty with Nigeria at the African Cup of Nations while international call-ups are possible for a clutch of Celtic players come the end of this month.

Pundit Michael Stewart. (Photo by Ross MacDonald/SNS Group via Getty Images)

The BBC Sportsound pundit suggested it could come down to absences, and how each team covers them, that will settle the February 2 fixture – because the teams are otherwise evenly matched, he believes.

"I said before the [Aberdeen] game and it wasn't about the starting XI – that's the weakest bench Rangers have had in a long time.

"You look at the starting XI, it was OK. A good team, no doubt about it, but not nearly as strong as Rangers have been in the past.

Alfredo Morelos comes off for Cedric Itten who has returned from loan during the Cinch Premiership match between Aberdeen and Rangers at Pittodrie. (Photo by Craig Williamson / SNS Group)

"A lot was made about the additions Celtic have brought in and players they've got back from injury.

"So the game at Celtic Park in a couple of weeks is going to be very, very interesting because what team is put out is going to have a huge bearing on it.

"If the two teams put on their strongest XIs then it'll be very difficult to choose between them, but you can start to see there if you pick out a few of those important players from the Rangers team it's clearly had a big impact on that performance [at Pittodrie]."

Celtic Manager Ange Postecoglou and Daizen Maeda during a Cinch Premiership match between Celtic and Hibernian at Celtic Park, on January 17. (Photo by Alan Harvey / SNS Group)

Aribo was missing from van Bronckhorst’s team against the Dons as were Filip Helander and Kemar Roofe and despite a flat performance, Rangers maintained their domestic record of one defeat in 59.

Stewart added: "This run they had Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs and Celtic to come - all away from home.

"They won at Easter Road, won at Tynecastle, they've come away with a poor performance at Pittodrie but they’re still unbeaten.”

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