Former Celtic manager Davie Hay believes Brendan Rodgers will side with Dorus de Vries over Craig Gordon in goal for Saturday’s Old Firm derby against Rangers at Parkhead.

The veteran Dutch stopper arrived in Scotland last month from Nottingham Forest and he got his first start for the Hoops as they overcame Aberdeen 4-1 in the Scottish Premiership on August 27.

The 35-year-old is battling with Gordon for the gloves ahead of a first Old Firm league meeting in more than four years.

Gordon, two years the junior of de Vries, has come in for some criticism recently, with his part in Hapoel Be’er Sheva’s second goal in the 2-0 Champions League loss in Israel questioned by many.

Celtic qualified for the group stage despite Gordon’s error but he was sidelined for the visit of Aberdeen four days later.

Hay believes that Rodgers is going to stick with de Vries for the clash with Mark Warburton’s Rangers. He is however tipping Gordon to bounce back strongly.

“There have been faults in his game of late and I do think that Rodgers appears to favour De Vries.

But I think Gordon is the kind of guy that we will see get his head down and work hard to take his chance when the time comes round again,” Hay told the Evening Times.

“His only problem is that with the game against Rangers on the horizon, a game that then leads straight into the Champions League, it looks as though the gloves belong to De Vries.

For the time being, anyway.” Celtic are 1.62 to defeat Rangers. The Ibrox men are 5.25 while the draw is 3.80.