Moore: Substitution was a precaution

Rangers defender Craig Moore insists he was merely “looking at the bigger picture” when he came off against Celtic on Saturday to avoid another lengthy lay-off.

The Ibrox skipper has already spent six weeks on the sidelines this season and he sparked fears that he could miss crucial games – including the next Champions League meeting against Manchester United – when he limped off at half-time of Saturday’s Old Firm clash.

But Moore maintains his decision to pull out of the second half was more of a precautionary measure.

He told the Scottish Sun: “I am not at the stage I was before the injury last time. Nothing has gone and I didn’t think ‘I’ve done my hamstring again’.

“It was a case of knocking it on the head before I did do it again and had six weeks out, which I have already gone through this season.

“The fact is there is a very punishing campaign ahead of us with a lot of big games and you have to think of that.

“I had to look at the bigger picture. The older you get, the more you are able to do that.”