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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Mark Pirie

7 forgotten Rangers and Celtic stars who can still have a say on the title race after Aaron Ramsey inspiration

It's the business end of the Scottish Premiership season, and it's the time for heroes to emerge.

Both Celtic and Rangers are racing to the trophy and neither Glasgow giant can afford any slip-up.

Their squads will be tested with both looking to add the Scottish Cup to their trophy cabinet, while Gio van Bronckhorst has the Europa League to think about.

Aaron Ramsey silenced some of his doubters by scoring a vital goal in the crucial win from Dundee, having struggled to make an impact during his Juventus loan.

But who could be next to step out of the shadows for either side of the Old Firm?

Record Sport takes a look at the stars you might have forgotten about but who could play a key role before the nerve-shredding title race is concluded.

Karamoko Dembele

It was supposed to be Karamoko Dembele 's breakthrough season at Celtic - but things have turned out very differently.

The highly-rated winger picked up a serious ankle injury in pre-season that has seen him miss almost the entire campaign so far.

Dembele is out of contract at Parkhead in the summer, and time is running out for the 19-year-old to catch the eye this season.

(SNS Group)

Having been given a run-out against Dundee United in the Scottish Cup, and regular minutes for the Celtic Colts, Ange Postecoglou clearly still has the prospect at the forefront of his mind.

A big end to the season for both Dembele and Celtic could be on the cards.

Steven Davis

The veteran midfielder has been there and done it when it comes to title success - including in the nervy finish to the 2010-11 season.

Rangers saw off Celtic's challenge by just a point during that campaign - and it could be just as close this time around as the rivals keep pace with one another.

Davis has been hampered by injury this season and has struggled to make a claim for a starting spot under Gio van Bronckhorst.

However, he was a key member of the side who lifted the Premiership title last season and reached the Europa League knockout rounds.

Having entered the final months of his Rangers contract, Davis will hope to recapture that form again in the run-in.

Yosuke Ideguchi

While fellow January recruits Matt O'Riley, Daizen Maeda and Reo Hatate have quickly made their mark at Celtic Park - 'Guchi' has been forced to watch from the sidelines.

An injury picked up in the Scottish Cup win over Alloa on his first start was a major set-back for the Japan cap, and he's struggled to find his feet since.

Yosuke Ideguchi in Celtic training (SNS Group)

A late appearance off the bench against Dundee United in the cup showed he is getting back to fitness, and Ange Postecoglou will hope he is ready to play a role in the title battle.

The box-to-box midfielder could offer something different with a treble on the minds of Celtic fans.

Amad Diallo

Having scored just five minutes into his debut against Ross County, big things were expected from the January loanee when he arrived from Manchester United.

Since then Amad Diallo has found the goals and minutes hard to come by and has mainly been limited to cameos off the bench.

Manchester United loanee Amad Diallo has had a mixed start to life at Rangers (SNS Group)

But there is no doubt that the 19-year-old has some star qualities in his locker - and that's why he was brought to Old Trafford in a deal that could rise to as much as £37.2million.

He's have to start showing some of that soon - but can look to his fellow loanee Aaron Ramsey for tips on how to make an impact with games running out.

Christoper Jullien

The 28-year-old has had a long road back to fitness.

A lot has changed since the Frenchman's last run in the first-team - with Ange Postecoglou arriving and bringing in the centre-back partnership of Carl Starfelt and Cameron Carter-Vickers.

(PA)

That new-look partnership has formed the heart of the best defence in the league this season and Jullien has found it tough to catch the Australian's eye.

His only game time this season came in a cameo against Raith Rovers, but could offer a tried and tested option at the back for Ange Postecoglou for the Scottish Cup and Premiership fight.

Cedric Itten

The towering Swiss striker was brought back from his loan spell at Bundesliga strugglers Greuther Fürth - but has barely been seen since.

His last appearance under Gio van Bronckhorst came back in February when he was given a 20-minute run-out in the Scottish Cup stroll against Annan.

Cedric Itten and Bosun Lawal ina ction during a City of Glasgow Cup match between Celtic B and Rangers B (SNS Group)

Since then, he has been bombed out of the first-team picture with his most recent minutes coming for the B team in the Glasgow Cup clash with Queen's Park.

With Van Bronckhorst relying heavily on Alfredo Morelos amid a packed fixture list, there is still time for the boss to shake up his attacking options.

Kemar Roofe hasn't had much of a chance, so could Itten recapture the role of impact sub that he forged in the Steven Gerrard era in the remainder of the campaign?

Albian Ajeti

The Swiss striker has tumbled down the pecking order at Celtic Park since his big money move from West Ham.

That £4.5million spent seems like a distant memory since the Ange Postecoglou era was ushered into Celtic Park.

An hamstring injury picked up in Europa League action in December last year put Ajeti on the shelf while enjoying a rare run in the first-team.

Since then, the arrival of the likes of Daizen Maeda and the emergence of Giorgios Giakoumakis has left him almost completely out of the picture.

With that said, Celtic have a had peaks and troughs of injuries this term that have seen Postecoglou turn to Ajeti. Could there be one last decisive goal in the forward before the season is through?

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