'A bit early' for Rangers to put pressure on Celtic & Hearts - McInnes

What the report says

Rangers manager Derek McInnes has played down talk that a win away to Dundee on Saturday evening would pile immediate pressure on Scottish Premiership rivals Celtic and Hearts. Rangers could move to the top of the table with victory at Dens Park, with Celtic not playing until Sunday against third-placed Hearts, but McInnes said his focus is on his own team’s performance rather than the wider title picture.

The Rangers boss pointed to his side’s current run of seven straight wins in all competitions, while noting that Celtic have recently dropped points and both Celtic and Hearts were in European action on Thursday. Celtic lost 4-1 to Benfica in the Europa League, while Hearts drew 1-1 with Nordsjaelland in the Conference League. McInnes said Rangers would have preferred to be involved in Europe themselves, but stressed that domestic results are what matter now.

Rangers missed out on Europe after a Conference League play-off defeat in August, giving them extra time to prepare for league matches. McInnes said that benefit does not guarantee success and that the team must keep improving, especially after what he described as a second-half drop-off in last weekend’s 3-1 win over Kilmarnock. The broader context is that early-season league positions can shift quickly, so Rangers are treating the Dundee match as another step rather than a decisive moment in the title race.