The odds may be stacked against Celtic at Ibrox this lunchtime but their midfield player, Paul Hartley, has spoken in defiant terms about a desire to ensure the Clydesdale Bank Premier League trophy remains in the club’s trophy cabinet beyond May.

Defeat to their oldest rivals is almost unthinkable for Celtic, who trail Rangers by three points while Walter Smith’s team also have a valuable game in hand. Yet, by virtue of a superior goal difference, the champions would head to the summit of the table with a victory on Glasgow’s south side and Hartley is adamant positive thoughts are uppermost in the Celtic camp. If ever there was a time to record a first victory over Rangers since Smith returned as the manager 14 months ago, it is surely now.

“We’ll try to go there to win the game,” Hartley, who readily conceded the bookmakers’ stance that Celtic are the underdogs on their second visit to Ibrox this season, said. “Rangers are playing very well and it’s at their home park. But we’ve got to go and try to do something; hopefully we can. Saturday is a big game, all derbies are big games but I think there is a bit of an edge to this one.”

The names of Darren O’Dea, Jiri Jarosik, Evander Sno and Massimo Donati featured in Celtic’s starting XI during their 3-0 defeat at Ibrox last October; none are likely to be involved from the outset today with Jarosik now plying his trade in the Russian league and Donati apparently destined for pastures new in the close season.

“I think when you go into an Old Firm game the form goes out of the window,” Hartley explained. “Sometimes the favourites don’t win the games. We know it will be tough. They have been playing very well this season, but we’ve got some good players and hopefully we can make it hard for them. No one should write us off, we’ll keep going right to the end. There are a lot of points still to play for. We’ve still to play Rangers three times, including twice at Parkhead.”

While others bemoaned the timing of Scotland’s midweek international friendly against Croatia, Hartley was simply glad to take the field for 90 minutes and duly performed admirably as George Burley returned a creditable 1-1 draw from his first match as an international manager.

Restricted to only fleeting appearances recently for his club because of a viral infection and loss of form, the former Heart of Midlothian player is strongly in contention to return to the fold today.

“We all hoped to come through [the international] without any injuries for Ibrox,” Hartley added. “I was happy to play the full 90 minutes - I’m always happy to play a full 90 minutes.

“When you play for your country it’s an honour, so I was delighted to do so. It was a hard game. It was a good team we played against, but it was a good result. Croatia are one of the top teams in Europe, so it was a good start for the manager and a good performance.”

Hartley’s teammate, Shunsuke Nakamura, has agreed with his manager’s stance that Celtic’s team should not be loaded with combative force in a bid to outmuscle their oldest foes. Gordon Strachan stated on Thursday that Celtic would seek to play to their strengths with Nakamura, one of the champions’ more timid performers, a supporter of such a notion.

“I think we have the ability to outdo them with skill,” Nakamura said. “When we get into one-on-one situations, we are capable of achieving anything. I don’t believe the physical side of things is such a big issue. It’s more about being first to the loose balls. I have been doing well recently with tackling, so I will be keeping that up.”

Nakamura, whose contract expires in the summer, has also reiterated that he fully expects Celtic to take up their extra 12-month option on his contract and that he is content to remain in Scotland despite reported interest from Yokohama.

The SFA, meanwhile, has moved swiftly to deny any conflict with Celtic over another of their midfield players, Barry Robson. The former Dundee United captain arrived at Scotland’s team hotel last Sunday evening with a swollen knee and was sent back to his club within 24 hours; it is understood the player was willing to remain with the international set-up to see if the injury would respond to treatment, with a report yesterday claiming Celtic would seek an explanation, having been miffed by the SFA’s decision to class him as unfit so quickly.

“We haven’t heard from Celtic so there is nothing to respond to,” an SFA spokesman said. “The player was treated by the medical team on Sunday and Monday, didn’t respond to treatment and, as is standard practice, was sent back to his club.”