Scottish Premier League/Celtic v Rangers: Craig Bellamy will make his debut for Celtic in tomorrow's Premier League game against Rangers and Martin O'Neill revealed his biggest problem in the build-up has been holding back the former Newcastle striker in training.

Bellamy is champing at the bit after being frustrated firstly by the decision to spare him the perils of Dunfermline's plastic pitch and then the postponement of last weekend's match against Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

He has thus played only once since falling out with Graeme Souness at Newcastle and that was for Wales against Hungary when he scored both goals in a 2-0 win.

"Ideally I would have liked Craig to have had a game for us before going into an Old Firm fixture, but we threw Juninho into it against Rangers in similar circumstances and he handled it well," O'Neill said. "Anyway, Bellamy has been showing an enormous amount of enthusiasm in training and the lads seem pleased he is here so I have no worries. Fitting him in to the team shouldn't be a major problem."

Bellamy has been doing his best to keep a low profile, though he has already discovered the drawbacks of being a prominent footballer in Glasgow's goldfish bowl. At the same time he was tucked up in his Inverness bed last weekend he was being reported to the police for an incident in a Glasgow nightclub.

"He was a bit confused about the fact he had beaten someone up from so far away, but I simply told him: 'Welcome to Glasgow'," O'Neill commented wryly.

It is the kind of misunderstanding that has prompted his Celtic and Wales team-mate John Hartson to put a protective arm round Bellamy's shoulders. He has had words of advice, too, from Neil Lennon, who knows all about the potential for trouble on and off the pitch. There will be more tomorrow in a game that will be a serious test of Bellamy's temperament.

Celtic are favourites to win. Rangers have not won at Parkhead since 2000 and even a slight fitness doubt over Bobo Balde has not disturbed O'Neill's faith in his team.

"We are in good form and have plenty of confidence. This is still a fixture that I find enthralling, invigorating, exciting - and worrying. I am pleased I haven't yet lost to Rangers here, but records are there to be broken. Whatever happens, though, I don't see this game as the title decider."

Nor does O'Neill's counterpart Alex McLeish, although he looked at the broader picture and maintained that so many Old Firm matches - this is the fifth of the season, with another still to come at Ibrox - are diluting their importance and having a knock-on effect in Europe into the bargain. "Playing each other so often takes a little out of the occasion," the Rangers manager said, "and has an influence on our European aspirations because these matches are very physically and mentally demanding".

The man charged with dealing with discipline tomorrow is Mike McCurry. The referee has been training to become a minister and will be ordained next month.

It is difficult to imagine a greater contrast to delivering a sermon to worshippers than refereeing an Old Firm game.