As improbabilities go, Tony Warner's appearance in today's Old Firm match at Celtic Park is not far behind winning the Lottery.
Lifted out of Liverpool's reserves eight days ago by Celtic's need for cover after losing two first-team goalkeepers to injury, the 24-year-old Warner, in the continued absence of Jonathan Gould and Stewart Kerr, is in for an experience he could not have fantasised.
Having joined Liverpool from schools football eight years ago, Warner has played only three first-team matches - two for Swindon Town during a loan period and last Saturday's debut for Celtic in a 2-1 defeat at St Johnstone. Those games were watched by an aggregate crowd of just over 27,000.
This afternoon, Celtic Park will accommodate a capacity 60,000, with another 30,000 watching the game at Ibrox on giant television screens.
Warner is predictably upbeat about the prospect but, throughout the history of this fervid fixture, those making their debut have invariably emerged from it with the vacant look of soldiers returning from their first brush with combat.
"It hasn't been absolutely finalised that I'll play," said Warner, "but I feel ready if needed. We have big derbies in Liverpool as well. They are just as crazy and I've seen plenty of them."
Warner's chances of enjoying the 90 minutes will improve if experienced men such as Alan Stubbs and Enrico Annoni are able to return to Celtic's central defence. Stubbs, the other Liverpudlian at Parkhead, has recovered from injury, but his wife is due to give birth at any time.
Stubbs's inclusion, after missing more than a month, will not be determined until this afternoon. Annoni should play and Paul Lambert, the Scotland midfielder, is available again after suspension.
Johan Mjallby, the Swede signed from AIK Stockholm for £1.5 million sterling on Thursday, could be in midfield with Lambert and Lubomir Moravcik, the Slovakian bought two weeks ago from MSV Duisburg in Germany, making Celtic a significantly different team from the one which drew 0-0 in the opening derby at Ibrox in September.
Already 10 points behind their rivals, Celtic would, by losing, virtually end their interest in the championship they wrested from Rangers last May. The Ibrox side are, justifiably, clear favourites, but their head coach Dick Advocaat has a niggling concern.
"Celtic's problems with injury and suspension make a problem for me, because I don't know who they'll play," he said. "But it was like that last time, when so many of them were supposed to be unfit, but most showed up on the day and they drew 0-0.
"Celtic know what they have to bring to the game, which is 100 per cent. Otherwise, they could put themselves in trouble. That makes them dangerous."
With the suspended Lorenzo Amoruso his only missing regular player, Advocaat seems certain to field the team which beat Aberdeen last Saturday.
Hearts boss Jim Jefferies, whose side face Dunfermline at Tyncastle today, is hoping for a change of fortune following a poor run.
