Brendan Rodgers has admitted Celtic's schedule does offer a potential advantage over Rangers.
The league leaders have a three-point lead at the top of the table but that could be extended to six on Saturday.
Celtic take on Hearts - who they have lost to twice this season - tomorrow while Rangers don't play against Kilmarnock until Sunday.
It means Celtic could heap pressure on Rangers by extending their lead to six points come Saturday afternoon if they can overcome Hearts.
And Rodgers has admitted his side have the opportunity to take advantage of their schedule in playing before Rangers- but only if they focus fully on themselves.
Asked whether putting points on the board and pressure on Rangers could be an advantage, Rodgers said: "I can sit here and lie and say no. The scoreboard pressure is always there.
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"It doesn’t count for anything if you don’t do the job, though. I think that if you’re playing second, you’ll know the other teams’ result, but primarily you have to focus on yourself.
"It can certainly add weight, especially at this time of the season."
Meanwhile, Daizen Maeda will return to the Celtic squad this weekend as he recovered "remarkably well" from an injury knock to provide a huge boost to Rodgers.
Rodgers explained: "He'll come into the squad for the weekend and it is great news for us.
"When you think he was maybe not going to be available to us that was the initial thinking medically.
"He has recovered remarkably well and we can all see that he is a specimen physically.
"It's great that he's back and it's brilliant news for us."
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