Celtic will not be given the chance to wrap up a quick fire title at the home of bitter rivals Rangers due to police fears.
The SPFL is set to announce the post split fixture list on Monday with the champions needing just one more win to secure a second successive title under Ange Postecoglou - after Rangers went down to defeat at Pittodrie on Sunday afternoon to leave them 13 points off the pace.
A derby day victory at Ibrox in the first round of fixtures on May 6 and 7 would officially crown Postecoglou’s side - and Police Scotland have instructed league bosses to avoid such a powderkeg scenario even despite an ongoing ban on away fans at Old Firm matches. That means the final meeting of the Glasgow big guns could be put on hold until, at the earliest, the third round of fixtures on the weekend of May 20 and 21.
It’s understood police chiefs might prefer the sides to go head–to-head on the fourth round of games in a midweek slot on either May 23 or 24. League bosses are also facing the headache of forcing Rangers to make a third trip to the same venue while Celtic will host a top six rival for the third time, in order to balance it out so all teams have 19 home and away games, because of a anomaly caused by St Mirren’s emergence as a top six club for the first time since 1985.
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