Celtic have learned their fate in the Scottish Cup following the conclusion of the weekend’s ties, with two fixtures postponed due to scheduling issues.
After Falkirk were pushed all the way to extra time by Stenhousemuir at Ochilview, the draw for the next round was carried out live in the studio. Former striker Lee Miller was handed the task, and he delivered a blockbuster tie by pulling out Rangers to face Celtic at Ibrox.
It is a daunting draw at any stage of the season, but the wider context makes it even more punishing.
The cup tie drops Celtic into what is shaping up to be the most demanding run of fixtures they will face all year, both physically and mentally.
Before thoughts can even turn to the Scottish Cup, Celtic must navigate Europe. They travel for the second leg of their Europa League tie against Stuttgart on Thursday, February 26. Just three days later, on March 1, they head straight to Ibrox for the derby clash.
There is no let-up after that. Wednesday, March 4 sees Celtic play their postponed league fixture away to Aberdeen, a match that could carry significant weight in the title race. Then, on the weekend of March 7 or 8, Celtic return to action in the Scottish Cup with that trip to Ibrox still looming.
In the space of little more than 10 days, Celtic face Stuttgart, Rangers, Aberdeen and Rangers again. All away from home. All hostile venues. All matches with the potential to define their season across Europe, the league and the cup.
Spare a thought, then, for Martin O’Neill, who admitted he felt “drained” after watching his side scrape past Dundee in the previous round. With a schedule like this now staring him in the face, that sense of exhaustion may only be the beginning.
