Rangers hit with midfielder blow for semi-final clash v Celtic

By Danny Wright

Ranger fans will not be happy after it was confirmed that Celtic will have Scott Brown available for Sunday’s Scottish Cup semi-final clash with Rangers.

The Bhoys captain was shown a straight red card in Sunday’s draw with Ross County, and a statement on the Scottish Football Association’s official website confirms that his club have decided to lodge an appeal.

The hearing would normally have happened this week but due to the Easter holidays, Brown will be available to play until his case is heard on April 27.

It's a loophole that means Celtic have effectively boosted their chances of winning the treble, with the influential midfielder now available for the crunch tie.

The Scottish midfielder has been a key part of the Hoops first team for the past ten years since he moved from Hibernian in 2007.

This season, the 31-year-old has made 49 appearances across all competitions, scoring three goals and supplying three assists.

He has already lifted the Scottish League Cup earlier this season and will also be handed the Scottish Premiership title after his side secured the league when they won at Hearts.

If the SFA deem Brown’s dismissal as correct, he will miss next week’s league meeting between the two rivals.

Sunday’s fixture will be Pedro Caixinha’s first time managing in an Old Firm derby but he was in the stands to see Rangers snatch a late point at Celtic Park last month.

In other Rangers news, Chris Sutton says how many Gers players would get into the Celtic team.

We’ve launched a << BREAKING NEWS FEED>> exclusively for your club. ‘Like Us’ on Facebook by clicking here if you want 24/7 updates on all Rangers breaking news.