HE can’t join them, but he can beat them. Mark Warburton watched Celtic secure a Champions League jackpot in Israel and now he will look to plot a Premiership triumph at Parkhead.

While Brendan Rodgers and his players have six glamour ties to look forward to in the coming weeks, the Ibrox squad will have to watch the European action unfold from afar.

It will serve to inspire Warburton’s side, though, as they look to clinch the Premiership title this term and, with it, earn their own shot at glory on the continent.

The Light Blue ranks don’t have the strength or depth to challenge for a Champions League spot at present but the Gers continue to strive for the improvement that is necessary.

Warburton said: “I wouldn’t have thought [Celtic’s extra games would give us an advantage] but it’s not my job to talk about Brendan and Celtic.

“It’s good for Scottish football that they got through to the group stages but I can’t control anything away from here. Our job has to be focused on Rangers.

“At some stage [it is a problem we would like to have], absolutely. Then you have to get the squad to deal with those problems and the big clubs do that.

“They have the strength in depth to deal with the difficulties thrown up by those types of high-quality games but getting there has got to be our long-term aim.

“We have to win the league; that’s what we have to do. To get into the Champions League you need to win the Premiership title, it’s that simple.

‘“Are we ready to win the title?’ is the obvious question because, if you do that, then you’re in the qualifying rounds.

“So we’ve got to make sure we’re more than highly competitive. We’re three games in and we’ve had a decent start.

“We understand what happened with Hamilton on the opening day – all the emotion from Lee Wallace and Barrie McKay and the fans.

“It was a huge day and we were disappointed to drop two points at home but we got the wins at Dundee and against Motherwell while introducing a lot of new players.

“I’m very comfortable with what we’ve got in terms of the squad.”

With seven points already on the board, Rangers have made a steady if unspectacular start to their bid for the top flight crown.

A trip to Kilmarnock tomorrow night is next on their agenda before the countdown begins to the first Old Firm showdown of the season at Parkhead.

Celtic face Aberdeen on Saturday aiming to avoid a European hangover and Warburton could make a personal check to see Rodgers’ side in action.

He said: “I watched them on TV. I was at our Under-20s game but I recorded it and watched it when I came in.

“But I watch every one of their games – I watched them against St Johnstone at the weekend.

“It’s not just about Celtic, of course – I know you guys say that but it’s the same three points that are available at Kilmarnock on Friday night.

“I’m sure there are fans who are saying: ‘Lose your first four games but beat Celtic’ but it’s about accumulating as many points as possible.

“I might dip in there (to Parkhead) but we already have a lot of coverage and I always have games watched by people I trust implicitly. But if it’s right for me to go then, of course, I will.

“You see it as well as I do. Sometimes it’s better going yourself but I hate it when I see people going along just for the sake of it.

“My job is here, trying to do it as best as I can. So if I’m travelling somewhere and I get home at one in the morning and then get back up at half past four and I’m not ready to deliver the quality of product here then I won’t do it; I’ll send someone else.

“But the coverage of their game [on Tuesday] night, with the replays that you can pause and rewind, allow me to look at the positions the players take up which you can’t always see when you’re there because it happens and then it’s gone.

“The coverage from Sky and BT is magnificent and it’s great to have that facility.”

If it turns out to be a perfect weekend for Warburton, Rangers will head across the city next month with a chance to move seven points clear at the top of the table.

But the Gers boss won’t look too far ahead as he attempts to take care of business at Rugby Park first and foremost.

Warburton said: “Every game is important for us. I am not avoiding the question, but we have to win every game we go into.

“We drew with Hamilton and you saw what happened. We have to go into the game well prepared. We try to go into every game well prepared and knowing what we have to do to win the game of football.

“We want three points. We want 10 points out of 12. That’s what we want. We will move on from there.”