The Celtic trio that Lubo Moravcik reckons are key to stopping Rangers

The legendary 58-year-old watched on with interest last Sunday as Reo Hatate conducted the Celtic orchestra in Livingston during his comeback game to help Brendan Rodgers' men to a comfortable 3-0 win in West Lothian.

And he's certain that if captain Callum McGregor can declare himself ready to be named in the starting eleven at Ibrox then it would be a huge boost to Celtic's title ambitions.

Moravcik wants a reunification involving the captain, Hatate and rejuvenated Matt O'Riley in the Celtic engine room as he believes that trio would ask Rangers serious questions this weekend.

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He said: "I saw highlights of the Livingston game which put Celtic one point ahead of Rangers at the top of the league going into the match at Ibrox.

"Hatate is an excellent footballer and alongside Kyogo they have both played consistently well and have been massive parts of Celtic's success story over the past two years.

"Hatate was impressive in the comeback game against Livingston on Sunday. He looked very good. This game against Rangers will be his biggest test to date since returning from injury which is why this weekend is very important.

"I know there are also some doubts over the fitness of Callum McGregor but I would love to see him feature in Celtic's starting eleven against Rangers. I want to see the likes of McGregor, Hatate and O'Riley all take their place in the Celtic midfield at Ibrox.

"What a shot in the arm that would give everybody connected with the club. It is vitally important for Celtic to have their key players back fit, strong and ready to take on Rangers this weekend. 

"The derby is such a massive game for the club but if Celtic can field all three of these midfield players it would be fantastic news for the team, the manager and the supporters. 

"Every player wants to play in the derby match, especially this one as we have now reached the business end of the season where titles and cups are all on the line."

Moravcik believes that if Celtic can avoid defeat in Glasgow's southside then it would hand the advantage to the men in green and white in the race for the coveted Scottish Premiership flag.

However, a victory in Govan for Celtic would see Rodgers's men surge four points clear of their title rivals with just six games left to play.

Moravcik said: "At this stage of the season, a draw would be a good result for Celtic at Ibrox as they know they would still have to play Rangers at Parkhead after the split.

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"It is most important that Celtic do not get beaten in this fixture and if they do that they can set themselves up nicely to hopefully beat Rangers at home and grab the initiative in the title race.

"This is a crucial match for Celtic as they could go four points ahead of Rangers with a win. Four points would be a good cushion to hold over Rangers at this juncture. It would be a very difficult gap to bridge at this late stage of the campaign with only a few games left.

"Brendan Rodgers came back to the club to win the title for Celtic again. I wish him all the best in that quest. He is a very good manager and it is paramount for him that he brings the title home."

Moravcik made 129 appearances and scored 35 career goals for Celtic. He won two league titles, a Scottish Cup and two League Cups.

He has particularly fond memories of Ibrox after helping Martin O'Neill's Celtic side achieve one of the most talked about triumphs against their city rivals in their backyard in recent times.

Moravcik was at his imperious best on a day when he totally bossed Rangers captain Barry Ferguson and twisted the late Fernando Ricksen inside out as he bagged a brace in a 3-0 win during the 2000/01 treble-winning campaign.

Lubo still smiles as he recalls the events inside Ibrox which happened 23 years ago this month as Celtic recorded their first success at Ibrox for six-and-a-half years.

"Martin O'Neill's Celtic side were already champions by the time we played Rangers in that game," he recalls. "It was much easier to go to Ibrox and play under those circumstances than it will be for Brendan's team this weekend.

"Despite the number of years that have elapsed since that match the Celtic supporters still talk to me about it as they remember it fondly.

"It was one of my finest games for the club and as you can see from my celebrations I thoroughly enjoyed scoring both goals against Rangers.

"Henrik Larsson also scored his 50th goal of an amazing season that afternoon. It was such a perfect day for Celtic and a very special day for everybody associated with the club. Rangers games are always very special because it is important to win them.

"I hope that the current team can experience something similar for themselves this weekend and be on the end of a good result."

Will Moravcik be taking in the latest instalment of the Glasgow derby this weekend?

The Slovakian national manager said: "I am back in the Czech Republic on football duty with the Slovakian national team. I am watching another game of football at 3 pm.

"However, I have just been informed that the Rangers vs Celtic game kicks off at noon so the timing works out great for me. I will now be able to see it.

"I will find some bar to watch it! This is the biggest game of the season so far for Celtic. Hopefully, I will have fun cheering on Celtic to victory. I remain a huge fan of the club to this day."