Celtic look to reduce Rangers lead

Glasgow: Celtic manager Tony Mowbray says he is looking forward to seeing his team back in action against Falkirk on Saturday after recent postponements due to the wintry weather.

The Hoops host the Scottish Premier League`s bottom side looking to reduce the gap with league leaders Rangers who have a seven-point cushion, although they have played a game more than their rivals. However, despite their lowly position the Bairns held the Glasgow giants to a 3-3 draw at the Falkirk Stadium earlier in the season and Mowbray knows it will be a tough match. "There are no easy games," he said. "It doesn`t matter who you play, you have to be very respectful of them. Falkirk try and spread the ball about, so it will be a very entertaining game.""The game there was a tough outing for us. We didn`t play on the day, but give them a lot of credit as they played very well. However, this will be a very different game on Saturday.” "We are at home so we`ll try to be positive and put them on the back foot and win the football match.” "It`s always important to get the three points.” "This will be a long season and we have to go on accumulating points and find the consistency that I have talked about in the last month or so.” "There are plenty of positives to take from our last game against Rangers and we have to set off on a similar footing against Falkirk and try and try to get the win." Mowbray`s side will also head into the game light on players due to injuries and transfers. Defender Gary Caldwell completed his move to Wigan while midfielders Barry Robson and Willo Flood joined New Zealand striker Chris Killen in joining former boss Gordon Strachan at Middlesbrough. Scott Brown and Shaun Maloney are still out injured while the Hoops were dealt a blow when Socceroos striker Scott McDonald joined them after undergoing a hernia operation. However, the Hoops manager has brought in two new faces with Dutch defender Jos Hooiveld and South Korean midfielder Ki Sung Yueng in line to make their debuts. Rivals Rangers also have their worries as they visit New Douglas Park for the second time in a week to face Hamilton on league duty following their 3-3 draw in the Scottish Cup. Walter Smith`s side has been decimated by injuries and suspensions and will be without top-scorer Kris Boyd for the next four weeks following a hernia operation. The Ibrox side will also be without his strike partner Kenny Miller through suspension. Fellow forward Steven Naismith remains sidelined, while Lee McCulloch is also banned for the trip to Hamilton. DaMarcus Beasley and fellow midfielder Pedro Mendes are also missing through injury, while defender Madjid Bougherra is on Africa Cup of Nations duty with Algeria. There were some positives for the Gers gaffer with the news both Nacho Novo and midfielder Steven Davis have returned to training. Elsewhere on Saturday, Dundee United take on Hibernian at Tannadice hoping to leapfrog the visitors into third place. Second bottom Kilmarnock host Craig Brown`s Motherwell at Rugby Park with Jimmy Calderwood in the dug-out after the former Aberdeen boss agreed a deal to replace Jim Jefferies. Hearts will want to bounce back from their Scottish Cup defeat with a win against St Mirren at Tynecastle and St Johnstone welcome Aberdeen to McDiarmid Park. Bureau Report