'Can you imagine?' - Sutton shares scenario that'd leave Celtic fans 'Furious' pre-Rangers

Chris Sutton has warned Celtic they will face a “furious” backlash from supporters if they sell key players ahead of the match against Rangers.

The Gers will travel to Celtic Park on Sunday 1 September for the first Old Firm derby of the 2024/25 season and Brendan Rodgers risks facing Philippe Clement with a significantly weaker side.

Kyogo Furuhashi has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester City, whereas Matt O’Reilly has agreed to a Scottish-record move to join Brighton & Hove Albion [Sky Sports].

Sutton said in his Daily Record column [24 August]: “Can you imagine the reaction if Celtic sell O’Riley and Kyogo, bring in a couple of prospects for a debut against their big rivals and then they lose the game?

“The fans would understandably be furious. This summer should have been about the Champions League but unless they pull something special out the bag, they are now jeopardising the league.”

Philippe Clement and Rangers get Old Firm boost

A win in the Old Firm could be the catalyst Rangers need to challenge for the Scottish Premiership title this season.

The Gers have failed to beat their fierce rivals in the last five attempts – exit-linked Rabbi Matondo [Daily Record] scoring the equaliser in the 3-3 at the Ibrox in April to avoid a record of five consecutive defeats.

One way for Clement to adhere his already glowing reputation, to the Rangers faithful will be earning his first three points over Celtic.

The Light Blues have a significantly weaker squad than their counterparts and will need every advantage on offer to get a result away from home.

A Celtic side without Furuhashi and O’Reilly would certainly boost the Gers’ chances and cause large sections of the fanbase to rejoice at the sight of Celtic becoming weaker.

However, even if Clement were to pull off a shock win at Celtic Park, there are still long-term disadvantages to Celtic selling two of their key stars.

Rangers are struggling to offload their fringe players to fund new signings [Scottish Daily Mail], while selling either Furuhashi or O’Reilly will raise significantly more cash in one sale than the Gers have raised all summer. This will ultimately be spent on more targets – either next week or in January.

Not to mention that available players outside Scotland will be more attracted to playing for the more recently successful Hoops. Either way, a win at Celtic Park could have catastrophic implications for a side that needs a boost amidst the chaos.

In other Rangers news, Hamza Igamane is set for Light Blues debut.

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