Pedro Caixinha provides injury update on Bruno Alves and Declan John

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Pedro Caixinha’s Glasgow Rangers will take on Old Firm rivals and Brendan Rodgers’s Celtic at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership this weekend.

Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha has suggested to Herald Scotland that Bruno Alves and Declan John could play against Celtic this weekend.

The Gers will take on Old Firm rivals Celtic at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday afternoon.

Defenders Alves and John both suffered injuries during 3-1 victory over Partick Thistle away from home at the Firhill Stadium this week.

The 35-year-old centre-back and the 22-year-old left-back started the Scottish League Cup quarter-final tie on Tuesday evening, but neither failed to complete the game.

While Portuguese defender Alves came off in the 76th minute, Wales international John was substituted on 79 minutes.

Rangers manager Caixinha has said that he will assess the two players before making a decision on whether they will play against Brendan Rodgers’s Celtic or not.

“I’m still assessing them,” Caixinha told Herald Scotland about Alves and John. “Normally the 48 hours after a game is when he players feel more tiredness, so I’m still assessing.

“If Bruno can play we win in experience, we win in leadership, we win in presence. That’s what we win.”

The fact that Caixinha has not ruled out the prospect of Alves and John playing against Celtic suggests that the Rangers boss is still hopeful about them.

Rangers will have a better chance of winning against Celtic if Alves and John are available and start the Old Firm derby.