With the outcome of the championship race in the balance, both men have dilemmas to resolve in every department of their respective sides.
RANGERS
DEFENCESasa Papac, one of Rangers' most dependable and consistent performers
this season, is struggling to recover from a knee injury. If the Bosnian fails to make it, Walter Smith is left with a big decision to make in the full-back positions. Steven Whittaker deputised for Papac at left-back against Hearts last week, but is likely to be moved back into a more familiar right-back role at the expense of Christian Dailly who was a less than convincing performer against the Tynecastle side.
Stevie Smith, who has been operating on the left of midfield since his return to the side last month, can be moved back into the left-back slot. In central defence, Rangers will be gratified by the return from suspension of Madjid Bougherra who will resume his partnership with veteran captain David Weir.
MIDFIELDIf Stevie Smith is switched to a defensive position, it will leave Rangers with a choice to make in replacing him in the wide left midfield slot which has proved difficult to fill successfully this season. Lee McCulloch and Nacho Novo are both candidates for the job, but Walter Smith may prefer to hand it to Kyle Lafferty. While the fit-again Northern Ireland international is more comfortable with a central striking role, he has played on the left of midfield on several occasions this season.
Despite deposed captain Barry Ferguson's return to full training this week, it would be a major surprise if Smith chose to break up the central midfield pairing of Pedro Mendes and Maurice Edu which has operated successfully in Rangers' last six matches. Steven Davis will remain on the right of midfield as one of his team's most important players.
ATTACKStick or twist? With ten goals between them in the recent run which has kept Rangers firmly in the hunt for the championship, both Kris Boyd and Andrius Velicka will be entitled to feel hard done by if they do not retain their places in the Rangers attack this afternoon. Their manager, however, has made it clear he will have no hesitation in dropping one or both of them if he feels it is appropriate.
Velicka would appear to be the most vulnerable, with Kenny Miller's past record and experience of the Old Firm fixture making him an attractive option for Smith. Kyle Lafferty, if not handed the left midfield berth, is also a genuine candidate to play up front. A Boyd-Miller partnership must be regarded as the most likely choice for a match Rangers must try to win.
CELTIC
DEFENCENot for the first time, Gordon Strachan may have to be resourceful in putting together a back four. With captain Stephen McManus already ruled out by a knee injury, it emerged yesterday that Lee Naylor is also a doubtful starter because of a stomach muscle problem. Glenn Loovens, who successfully replaced McManus at Pittodrie last week, will almost certainly continue to partner Gary Caldwell in central defence.
Andreas Hinkel is a certain starter at right back but replacing Naylor at left-back, if the Englishman fails to make it, is far from straightforward. Darren O'Dea would be the obvious candidate, but the young Irishman has also struggled to train this week because of niggling hamstring and ankle problems. Barry Robson, back in full training, has operated at left-back before and the midfielder could be asked to do so again.
MIDFIELDCeltic coped well without the suspended Scott Brown in defeating Aberdeen last weekend and the PFA Scotland Player of the Year will be missing again today. Strachan could choose to retain the midfield four who started at Pittodrie, with Shunsuke Nakamura and Aiden McGeady on either side of a central pairing of Paul Hartley and Marc Crosas.
However, 21-year-old Crosas' only previous experience of the Old Firm fixture was a brief substitute appearance at Celtic Park in February. Gary Caldwell has been used in central midfield against Rangers previously, but that option seems to have been eliminated on this occasion by the defensive injury problems. Strachan made it clear this week he will have no hesitation in bringing Barry Robson straight back into the side, although it remains to be seen if he will also be required in defence. Willo Flood and Shaun Maloney offer Celtic alternatives in the wide positions.
ATTACKIn winning the Co-operative Insurance Cup final at Hampden in March, Strachan produced a tactical surprise by playing Scott McDonald as a lone striker with Aiden McGeady operating just behind him. It proved effective on that occasion and the Celtic manager could be tempted to try it again.
Since that 2-0 victory, however, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink has returned to goalscoring form for Celtic and it is more likely the big Dutch striker will continue his partnership with McDonald. Georgios Samaras is also fit again and available, but the Greek international forward may have to settle for a place on the substitutes' bench.
