Walter Smith does not believe that Celtic will be diminished by the absence of Aiden McGeady from Gordon Strachan's line-up for the Old Firm game at Ibrox today following the Ireland winger's fall-out with the Celtic manager.

Rangers go into the lunchtime encounter chasing Celtic's four-point lead in the Clydesdale Bank Premier League, with some believing that the Ibrox side's chances are enhanced by McGeady's enforced absence from the Celtic team. Yesterday, however, Smith scorned such a view.

Asked if he felt a Celtic side without McGeady posed less of a threat, the Rangers manager replied: “I don't think so. Celtic have shown this season they have managed to cover for a number of players who have been out. McGeady can be an outstanding performer but Celtic can cover his loss because they have a number of players who have shown that they can play extremely well for them.

“Celtic have shown a pride in their performances this season and have managed to overcome a number of problems. They are four points in front so they have managed the situation better than we have so far. So I don't think they will miss one player.”

Smith will know by 2.20pm today if his team has overcome its occasionally erratic form to peg Celtic back in the championship race. If Celtic were to win the Ibrox manager admitted that a seven-point gap would pose a considerable challenge for his team to claw back in 2009.

“We will find out, won't we?” Smith said. “My team has changed a wee bit this season and I feel that, while we might not be stronger in all aspects of our game, we are stronger in terms of our passing and possession of the ball.

“When you reach the half-way stage of the league, the gap, if we lost the game, would be difficult. But you don't think about that in these games. We have a decent home record and hope we will be able to peg Celtic back a bit.”

Strachan admitted yesterday that, having lost 4-2 to Rangers in their most recent encounter in August, it was a pleasant surprise to have a four-point lead. Yet the Celtic manager also opined that these Old Firm games no longer seemed to be the critical be-all and end-all of championship races.

“If you had said to me after that defeat in August, ‘Listen Gordon, you are going to be four points ahead the next time you meet Rangers, I'd have said, ‘Wow, lovely, thank you,'” Strachan said.

“But that was a strange game. I think we'd all agree that it was a fair draw at half-time. Right there and then I was thinking, ‘I like this, I like what I see.' But then Kenny Miller scored a good goal for Rangers, which I couldn't see coming, and Pedro Mendes scored a terrific goal. So as I say, I didn't see that defeat coming at all.

“I think the Old Firm games recently have shown that they are not all that critical. There has been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing [in the league] and you never know when you are going to get a good run of results. There are a lot of things involved to winning the title, that's for sure. And teams in the SPL these days are putting a lot more thought and effort into stopping Rangers and Celtic, so there are other factors now at work.”

Rangers hope to have Madjid Bougherra back in defence, while Stephen McManus, now recovered from injury, is a certain starter for Celtic.