GRAEME Murty has urged his Rangers players to put themselves in a position to “chase down” Celtic in the race for the Ladbrokes Premiership by beating them in 90 minutes for the first time in six years tomorrow.

The Ibrox club go into the third Glasgow derby of the 2017/18 campaign on the back of an impressive six game winning run and with high hopes of defeating their city rivals.

Read more: Rangers v Celtic: Our writers give their Old Firm predictions

Victory would put them just three points behind Brendan Rodgers’s team, who have a game in hand against Dundee at Parkhead still to play, with just eight matches remaining and Murty feels that would make the run-in interesting.

“We’ve won six in a row, but this is the biggest test,” he said. “If we were to win it then it would add to our confidence and what we’re trying to do.

“It would make us start to say: ‘Do you know what, we’re a good team’. I honestly don’t know if us winning would mean there is a title race.

“But until it’s mathematically impossible we’re up there. We’re still chasing them and whether we chase them down or not won’t just be on this one game - it will be on the games after it.

“So we have to make sure what we do, from Sunday, is put ourselves in as good a position as possible to go and chase them down.”

Meanwhile, Murty last night dismissed suggestions that his future as Rangers manager depends on his side beating their city rivals in this fixture.

Murty has only been put in charge until the end of the 2017/18 campaign and a triumph in the Glasgow derby game will boost his chances of he remaining in the role.

Read more: Matthew Lindsay: Win, lose or draw against Celtic tomorrow, Graeme Murty deserves to be kept on at Rangers

But the 43-year-old has put any thoughts about his personal situation to one side to focus on leading his team to victory and stressed he will still need to finish this term strongly if his charges prevail.

“People will say I should get it, people will say I shouldn’t get it, people will say I will be defined by this one game,” he said.

“I like to think we can crack on in the league and finish really high. My chances of this job will be defined by that.

“I have got 11 people who need to go and perform in a really big game, in a brilliant atmosphere. So for me to sit there and think ‘if you win this I could get this job full-time’ would be incredibly selfish.

“I am conscious of the need to move us forward as a football club and get us closer. If I do a good enough job and I get the job full-time I have got no doubt next season will be another challenge.

"It wouldn’t do me any harm, but if we shoot ourselves in the foot because we forget to finish the season off properly it will do immeasurable harm.

“So this thing about me getting a contract or not getting a contract, is so far at the back of my mind it has to be completely irrelevant as to this game.”

Read more: Craig Burley: This Rangers team isn't a thoroughbred - that piles pressure on Celtic in the Scottish title race

Murty has had several injury doubts in the build-up to the third meeting of the season with their city rivals – Declan John, Russell Martin, Jamie Murphy and Lee Wallace have all been battling to recover full fitness.

It is doubtful that Wallace, who hasn’t played since the Premiership game against Partick Thistle back in September, would feature even though he turned out in a closed doors game at Auchenhowie earlier this week.

Martin, too, is struggling after missing training. His manager will give him until the last minute to recover, but with Bruno Alves, who started in the 4-1 win over Falkirk last weekend, and David Bates both available they look set to start.

“All are in contention,” he said. “All have trained or played this week and all are pushing on. That’s good for me. We have a fitter, stronger squad and we have some big decisions to make.”

“Russell is doubtful, but he’s a positive guy. He’s doing everything he possibly can and we’re doing everything we possibly can to get him ready and we’ll give him as long as he needs.

“Russell is a consummate professional, he knows his own body. If turns to be and says I’m good then he’s good. If he turns around and says I’m not quite ready then that will be another decision for me to make. Russ is an honest and upfront guy and he’ll tell me like it is.”

Read more: Rangers v Celtic: Our writers give their Old Firm predictions

Murty believes the revival that Rangers have enjoyed has made the Old Firm game - which had become something of a non-event in the last two years due - an exciting spectacle once again and brought Scottish football back to the attention of the wider football public.

“This is the game, certainly since I’ve been at the football club, that there has been most interest in from south of the border," he said.

“People are now talking about the game as a contest rather than it being one-sided and about six, seven or eight goals being scored in it.

“People are now talking about the game which is indicative of the journey we’ve been on and the distance we have come as a squad and a football club and the fact we’re moving in the right direction.

“The fact this game is generating so much interest is showing that in a good light. This game stands alone in world football in terms of what it means and the interest in it from cross the globe will never wane.

“What we have to do is make sure these games - there will be three of them - are meaningful between now and the end of the season.

“We need to make sure we’re competitive and I want to put a team out on the football pitch that our fans across the world can be proud of."

Murty has denied that revealing his Rangers players had cheered when they were drawn to face Celtic in the William Hill Scottish Cup semi-final had given Brendan Rodgers's players extra incentive to triumph.

“I don’t think Celtic, or ourselves, will need any motivation to be fired up," he said. "Just walking out to the arena and seeing what it means, the colours and the pageantry, hearing the noise and experiencing that will get people to the level they need to be at.

“Celtic, or any other football club need to use anything I’m going to say. There has been no talk of title challenges from us whatsoever.

“We’re in second place. They’re on top, the defending champions, and we are chasing them, but we need to make sure we’re not just defined by this one game.

Read more: Rangers v Celtic: Our writers give their Old Firm predictions

“We have to make sure we accelerate until the end of the season. We want to continue to improve, get better and be competitive.

“The fact we’re scoring goals and pushing on is indicative of the improvement we have made.

“A couple of comments on social media made me laugh - that Glaswegian humour that is very prevalent. I said to the players it was them in a good place, on a high after scoring four more goals, and having the opportunity to play another massive game.

“If you ask any of the players who come to this football club, they come to play massive games. This is another opportunity, to come together as a squad, which they’re enjoying at the moment and seeing how far they’ve come. They are relishing that test and challenge. That is a real positive for us as a football club."