Chris Jack: There is nothing like the Old Firm derby so Scottish football should savour its return on Saturday

It is Old Firm day. Oh, and the Manchester derby is on this weekend as well.

A week is a long time in football. The coming few days will be so different from those that have just gone, though.

Read more: In pictures: The Old Firm league debuts of last five Rangers and Celtic bosses

Since the last ball was kicked in the Premiership, the focus has been on Scotland and the international arena. All eyes were on Malta, but more than a few glances have been taken towards Parkhead.

The build-up to Scotland’s opening World Cup qualifier last night was all rather low-key. It is a sad state of affairs but only natural considering the general apathy towards Gordon Strachan’s side and lethargy from supporters at present.

Read more: Rangers midfielder Niko Kranjcar calls for calm ahead of Celtic showdown

The next big one on the horizon will be different. The countdown is on to Old Firm day.

It is the game that Scottish football has missed for four years, the fixture that has been circled on the calendar for months, the meeting that has been thought about for weeks. Now, it is just days away.

Two cup clashes in the last two seasons have whetted the appetite and the four derbies this term will go some way to determining who will be crowned champions.

It is the occasion when old friends will become Old Firm rivals as Mark Warburton and Brendan Rodgers share a touchline together for the first time since their spells at Watford.

The title race won’t be decided by what unfolds in the East End of Glasgow on Saturday afternoon but Celtic have a chance to put themselves in pole position for the Premiership.

A point ahead with a game in hand, Rodgers’ side have looked more convincing than their silverware rivals in the opening weeks of the campaign and Rangers can ill-afford to lose any further ground while they look to find top gear in the top flight.

For those that will experience the build-up, the 90 minutes and the aftermath for the first time, this week will be like nothing they have known in the game.

The fact that he has been through all the preamble before will help Warburton and only time will tell how Rodgers copes with the intensity and the pressure. The Rangers clash is the latest in a string of hugely significant outings for the Northern Irishman and his side are rightly favourites to record another big game victory.

There are few fixtures that can match the pressure on the park or the atmosphere off it like the Old Firm encounter. It is the showpiece tie in Scottish football, a day where legends can be made.

Nothing is perfect, of course, and there are unsavoury sides to this game. But the history, the rivalry and the tribalism is the unique concoction that makes this match special.

There is nothing like Old Firm day in Scottish football and few occasions around the world come close. What some see as the dark side of the game shouldn’t overshadow what is box office television and an all-action, edge of the seat hour-and-a-half of drama, controversy and emotion.

There will be more words written and hours of television and radio coverage dedicated to Celtic v Rangers in the coming days than there has been for any other game so far this season.

It is the only show in town, so watch it, enjoy it and debate it. Oh, and remember to catch Match of the Day to see how the other derby goes as well.