Scottish Football: Hibs' Cup target handicapped

HIBERNIAN will have almost pounds 1m worth of striking talent sitting in the stand when they face the Premier Division leaders, Rangers, at Ibrox today.

Keith Wright and Darren Jackson, who have scored 20 goals between them this season, are both suspended. Fourth-placed Hibernian are mounting a challenge for a place in the Uefa Cup, but Alex Miller, their manager, knows his side face one of their toughest challenges of the season.

'It's a basic question facing my players,' Miller said. 'There will be intimidation from the big Ibrox crowd. Can they handle it? All I'm asking is that they play to their capabilities.' Rangers are likely to call up Ian Ferguson after suspension, in place of Neil Murray.

Celtic are likely to give a debut to their new signing, Willie Falconer, against Heart of Midlothian at Tynecastle. The Parkhead side have not scored in their last three games and Falconer, who arrived in Glasgow this week for pounds 375,000 from Sheffield United, is likely to be asked to adopt an unfamiliar role as a striker.

'We'll know after half-an-hour if he is adaptable enough to do a job for us there,' Lou Macari, the Celtic manager, said. Hearts will be without the suspended George Wright, Neil Berry and John Colquhoun. Their manager, Sandy Clark, admitted: 'The absence of these three will pose problems.'