Glasgow Rangers will be aiming to enter the international break by putting their European disappointment behind them from Thursday evening and securing all three points against St Johnstone.
By the time the Light Blues take to the pitch, they could trail both Celtic and Aberdeen by eight points in the Premiership table. This means three points are imperative, or Philippe Clement will come under some severe pressure.
The 4-1 defeat to Lyon in midweek highlighted the gulf in class between the two teams, although if the Gers had players who were more clinical in the box, the result could have been different.
Due to the sharp turnaround between matches, Clement will likely make a few changes to his team ahead of the clash against the Saints on Sunday evening.
Several of the starting XI on Thursday evening should be dropped to the bench, giving others a chance to shine. With this in mind, Football FanCast predicts the team that the Belgian will choose tomorrow evening in what is a must-win game for the club…
1
Jack Butland
Goalkeeper
The Englishman conceded his first goals since the 3-0 loss to Celtic during the clash against Lyon and will be hoping to record his fifth league shutout against the Saints.
Butland has shown flashes of his brilliance during the opening few weeks of the season as he remains a key part of the starting XI under Clement.
2
Neraysho Kasanwirjo
Right-back
James Tavernier has held onto the right-back slot longer than anyone anticipated, especially after some poor early showings this season.
While his defensive qualities have always been suspect, his attacking output more than made up for this. Last season, he scored 24 times and grabbed 12 assists, yet he lost possession 24.6 times per game on average.
Against the Saints, on-loan defender Kasanwirjo could come into the starting XI in place of Tavernier. The Dutchman shone on his European debut against Malmö last week, finishing the game with an 88% pass success rate and making one key pass.
3
John Souttar
Centre-back
The Scot has played every minute for Rangers this season, establishing himself as the first-choice centre-back at the club.
He and Robin Propper kept four clean sheets in a row before the loss to Lyon on Thursday evening and there is no doubt he will have to improve from that display at Ibrox. Given his options, Clement should continue to use Souttar at the heart of the defence.
4
Robin Propper
Centre-back
Dutchman Robin Propper has played alongside Souttar in every game since the last international break, building a solid partnership. The Lyon game was hopefully just a blip for the duo as the club conceded four goals for the first time this season.
Despite the presence of Leon Balogun on the bench, Propper should be able to retain his place.
5
Jefte
Left-back
Ridvan Yilmaz continues his recovery from injury, which means Jefte should continue to start at left-back. The Brazilian has been one of the finest signings made by Clement, showing plenty of promise despite his tender age.
He still has plenty to work on, but chances in the starting XI will enable him to continue his development.
6
Connor Barron
Centre-midfield
The former Aberdeen midfielder has started all but one of the club’s matches this term as he already looks like he has been at Ibrox for years, barking instructions to older, more experienced members of the team.
Against Hibs last week, the Scot ran the show from midfield, taking 84 touches while succeeding with 89% of his passes. He also won four of his six ground duels, displaying his tenacious side.
7
Nico Raskin
Centre-midfield
Mohamed Diomande is Barron’s usual midfield partner, but rotation could come into play tomorrow, meaning the Ivorian may drop to the bench in favour of Raskin.
The Belgian has started just once all campaign, being used as a squad option due to the midfield partnership of Barron and Diomande. Can he take his chance against St Johnstone?
8
Ross McCausland
Right wing
Vaclav Cerny struggled against Lyon, missing an open goal which would have given the Ibrox side the lead after just seven minutes.
This could suggest Ross McCausland comes into the starting XI in place of the Czech winger. Indeed, the Northern Irishman has already scored twice this term, with one of those goals coming against St Johnstone in the League Cup.
9
Ianis Hagi
Attacking midfield
Yes, he may have been languishing in the B team, and yes, he may not have played under Clement yet, but now is the time to finally unleash Ianis Hagi, especially as his recent contract dispute has been settled.
The £3m signing from 2020 looked like he was ready to exit Ibrox, but he knuckled down and showed his class during his B team outings. With Tom Lawrence coming off with an ankle injury in midweek, there is no time like the present to throw Hagi into the deep end.
10
Nedim Bajrami
Left wing
While the majority of the team struggled against Lyon, Bajrami’s class stood out among the rest. It’s just a pity he didn’t have better players around him.
During the game, the Albanian made three key passes, succeeded with all seven of his dribble attempts and won 8 of his 11 contested duels, yet more evidence of his talents.
11
Hamza Igamane
Striker
Cyriel Dessers endured yet another disappointing performance in midweek, missing a big chance while taking just 21 touches during his time on the pitch.
This performance ought to see him dropped to the bench, giving Hamza Igamane another chance to demonstrate his abilities.
The youngster started against Hibs last weekend, and he looked lively, coming close to opening his account for the Light Blues, but his effort failed to hit the target.
If he scores against the Saints, it could give him a major confidence boost, that’s for sure.
Predicted Rangers XI v St Johnstone: GK – Butland; RB – Kasanwirjo, CB – Souttar, CB – Propper, LB – Jefte; CM – Barron, CM – Raskin; RW – McCausland, AM – Hagi, LW – Bajrami; ST – Igamane
