'Martin's Rangers future rests on next four matches' - gossip

Matches against Genk, Sturm Graz, Livingston and Falkirk will decide whether Russell Martin has a future as Rangers head coach, with the club hierarchy already having begun assessing alternatives in case they do need to sack him. (Football Insider), external

Celtic are highly unlikely to be able to sign Raheem Sterling on loan or permanently as they could only probably contribute a small percentage of the £300,000-per-week the out-of-favour winger earns as Chelsea's highest-paid player. (Football Insider), external

Islam Chesnokov, whose contract with Tobol Kostanay expires on 31 October, is expected to arrive at Hearts in early December as the 25-year-old winger will be given time to recuperate from a demanding Kazakhstan Premier League season before travelling to Edinburgh to begin a new chapter of his career. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Brighton & Hove Albion, Manchester City and Manchester United are competing to sign Hearts midfielder Keir McMeekin, with City one of several clubs to make a formal offer to cover training compensation, but the Scottish Premiership club have put forward an attractive contract offer of their own to be signed when he turns 16 in February. (Edinburgh Evening News), external

Scotland Under-17 midfielder Keir McMeekin looks likely to sign for Manchester City despite interest in the Hearts 15-year-old from other Premier League clubs, with talks at an advanced stage and the teenager and his family having already spent a couple of days in Manchester. (The Talent Hunter on X), external

Scottish youth football campaigners have claimed a major victory in their long-running battle with the Scottish FA and Scottish Professional Football League over their treatment of children in the Club Academy Scotland (CAS) system after it was revealed to MSPs at the Scottish Parliament that two controversial rules had been scrapped. (The Herald), external

Aberdeen's Conference League opponents, Shakhtar Donetsk, will be without Brazilian winger Alisson Santana when they meet next Thursday after the 20-year-old signed for £14m from Atlético Mineiro suffered a broken leg. (Press & Journal), external

A supercomputer has predicted that Rangers will finish 16th in the Europa League, with Celtic back in 21st. (Scottish Sun), external

Several Celtic support groups have rejected an invitation by the club to discuss the policing of the match against Rangers in March, when police were granted special powers that allowed them to stop any supporters they believed to be under "reasonable suspicion" of committing a crime. (The Herald), external