Shunsuke Nakamura has advised Celtic to stop looking at Rangers and focus instead on their own job, as the Scottish champions bid to win the Clydesdale Bank Premier League for the third successive season.

The Japan player, who has just returned to action after three months out with a knee injury, believes that Gordon Strachan’s side have to adopt the same blinkered attitude that saw them race away with the championship in the last two seasons.

Nakamura admits that it is strange for Celtic to be in position of playing catchup against their Old Firm rivals but with Rangers holding a four-point lead at the top, the champions now have a real fight on their hands. “Like in the first two years, we just have to concentrate on what we are doing and nothing else,” Nakamura said yesterday. “Rather than look at how many points Rangers have got, we just have to take care of our own games.

“If we do that, I am confident we can do well. There are still so many games to play and a lot can happen. It would be unbelievable to win another league for Celtic and that is what we are all aiming for.”

This weekend, Rangers appear certain to earn another three points at home to St Mirren on Saturday, and possibly increase the gap to seven points ahead of Celtic’s difficult trip to Falkirk 24 hours later.

However, Strachan will have Aiden McGeady available again after suspension and Nakamura admits that the Ireland player set a benchmark for spectacular displays this season. Indeed, McGeady hit a hat-trick against Falkirk when they came to Celtic Park in December.

The 21-year-old was outstanding during Nakamura’s absence from the first team and Nakamura says he must match McGeady’s contribution, with the latter on the left while the Japan midfield player works on the right.

“Aiden has been really good and is having great performances just now,” Nakamura told the Celtic View.“Hopefully, I can do the same things on my side of the pitch that may make things easier for him.”

Nakamura, 29, has noticed a change in Celtic’s approach this season and claims the added pace to their game suits McGeady. “The build-up seems a little bit faster at times now, and that means Aiden gets the ball quicker and has more space to work in. That seems to be working,” he said. “Now I’m back from injury, it would be good if I could do the same on the right hand side and help the team in the same way as Aiden’s been doing.” Yokohama F Marinos have expressed interest in taking Nakamura back to the J-League, but Celtic are eager to keep him. The Japan player says he used his injury absence to allow his body to recharge after his frenetic schedule since joining Celtic in 2005. He has had barely a chance to take a break in recent seasons, with last summer’s Asian Cup cutting into his holiday.

“I thought, this is my time to get over the injury and have a break from competitive football,” Nakamura said.

“Now I feel refreshed and ready to go for the rest of the season.” However, both Nakamura and Scott McDonald are facing an anxious wait before they know if they will be involved in the Scottish Cup fifth-round tie with either Airdrie United or Kilmarnock.

The latter tie was called off on Tuesday night because of a waterlogged pitch at Airdrie and has been rearranged for next Monday, with the SFA announcing any replay being scheduled for the following Saturday, giving Celtic a free day. However, the SFA might now ask for any replay to go ahead on Thursday, January 31 and rearrange the fifth-round clash with Celtic for Sunday, February 3.

Celtic would oppose any attempt to move the game to this date as it would almost certainly rule out McDonald and Nakamura, who are required for World Cup duty on the other side of the globe three days later. Considering their travelling time, it would be almost impossible to adhere to the rule which decrees players must report for duty at least 48 hours before they are due to play.

Following his knee injury, Nakamura is expected to make his come-back for his country in their game against Thailand, having been omitted, as promised, from next week’s warm-up games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Chile. McDonald has already been named in Australia’s squad for their clash with Qatar in Melbourne. With Mark Viduka, of Newcastle United, already excused due to club commitments, McDonald is expected to be handed a key role.

Koki Mizuno, a Celtic signing target, is also expected to be included in Japan’s squad for their game against Thailand, though he has been surprisingly omitted from the squad for the warm-up games. The deal to bring Mizuno from JEF United is expected to be concluded next week.

Seweryn Gancarczyk, the Polish defender, hopes to learn today whether he has earned a £1 million move to Celtic. The 26-year-old Metalist Kharkiv left-back ends his trial at Lennoxtown where Brad Guzan, an American goalkeeper, is also on trial.