MIKAEL Lustig believes Celtic can exploit weaknesses in the Rangers defence in the Old Firm game this weekend - if their full backs are allowed to attack as freely as normal.

Mark Warburton’s side have enjoyed enormous success in the Championship this season by allowing James Tavernier and Lee Wallace to overlap and get upfield.

However, Hoops right back Lustig feels adopting that tactic in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden on Sunday could leave them exposed at the back and allow his side to score.

“A lot of teams play that way now throughout Europe,” he said. “They want the full backs to get up there and try to help score goals.

“But is it a risk? Absolutely. If you want to play with high full backs then you are always going to be open to counter attacks.

“We will see what happens on Sunday. I don’t know if they will change it. This is a special game, it’s a semi-final, so you can’t just go out and play your normal football.

“You need to be a bit more focused as you can’t afford to make stupid mistakes. You always want to play your own football, but, as I say, this is a special game.”

Lustig joined Celtic midway through the 2011/12 season and witnessed the Old Firm game at close quarters that term.

The 29-year-old also played as Ronny Deila’s side ran out 2-0 winners against Rangers in the League Cup semi-final last year.

He believes the superior experience his team has of the world-famous fixture will put them at at an advantage to their opponents this weekend.

“No one really told me what it was going to be like last year, but I have been here a long time and I was here when they went out of the league,” he said.

“So I knew what it was all about. When the game starts you have to be focused. There is a big atmosphere and a huge crowd and you have to take it all in.

“For me, it’s a positive. Others might not deal with it so well and might be a bit nervous. You have to deal with it.”

Meanwhile, Lustig has claimed the future of every Celtic player will be on the line against Rangers – not just that of manager Ronny Deila.

Calls from Celtic supporters for Deila to be sacked will escalate this weekend if his side are beaten by their city rivals in the second Old Firm game of his time in charge.

However, Lustig believes players could also be deemed surplus to requirements at the Parkhead club in the summer if they fail to overcome Warburton’s team.

“I think there will be pressure from the fans, but maybe not from the board as it is just one game,” he said.

“But it’s not just the gaffer - it’s all of the players as well. If we don’t do well then maybe we won’t be here next year.

“There’s a lot at stake and not just on the manager. We want to be the best team around and we want to prove it.”

The Swedish internationalist, who is certain to start at right back on Sunday if he is fit, admitted the Scottish champions hadn’t performed well enough this season.

But he believes defeating Rangers and then winning the Premiership and Scottish Cup double would help to atone for the disappointments they have suffered and ensure they remain at Celtic.

“We have not been satisfied with most of the season,” said Lustig. “Sometimes we have felt the criticism has been a bit harsh, other times we can agree.

“But if we can have a strong finish in the league and cup then maybe it will not look bad at all. We are in a good position in the league with eight points clear and we have a chance in the cup.

“This game can go a long way to doing that. We said after the League Cup we wanted a double and I think the fans and players would see it as a successful season if we can win both trophies.

“If you said before the season started that we would just win the league and do badly in Europe then we wouldn’t have taken that. It’s unusual to hear people talk about the manager, but we know what Celtic are all about.”

Rangers clinched the Championship title last week when they defeated Dumbarton at Ibrox and they will now play alongside Celtic in the Premiership next season for the first time in four years.

The Ibrox club’s players will have high hopes of challenging for the Scottish title given how well they have performed under Warburton in the 2015/16 campaign.

However, Lustig believes Celtic can dent their confidence with an emphatic victory at the National Stadium on Sunday.

“If the game goes like it did last year (in the League Cup semi-final when Celtic won 2-0) then maybe they would be asking if they have the right team for next season,” he said.

“But I am not going to sit here and talk about Rangers and what they should and shouldn’t do. We will see if they are better than last season.

“I haven’t seen much of them, I’ve not watched a full game. You see bits of them on Sky Sports. But this year they won promotion and they didn’t last year so you would think it will be a tougher game this time.”