Rangers were flying high under new boss Graeme Murty until last month’s derby defeat at Ibrox when the Light Blues surrendered to a ten-man Celtic and gave up the lead twice in the first half. The Gers, however, are yet to win a game ever since and suffered a shambolic defeat to Kilmarnock followed by last weekend’s 2-2 draw versus Motherwell. They have dropped down to third of the league standings and now determined to bounce back tomorrow when they will be hosting a struggling Dundee side in the battle of blues.
Dundee, on the other hand, are deep down the league standings but upbeat after restricting Celtic to a scoreless draw at Celtic Park. Although they will be challenged tomorrow due to a congestion of fixtures, the Dark Blues, however, are vowed to deliver another inspiring display versus the other Glasgow giants.
Team News
The Gers have been troubled by significant injury blows throughout the season and still have four major absentees due to injury concerns. David Bates and Jordan Rossiter remain sidelined with ankle strains whereas Ryan Jack is ruled out for the campaign with a knee injury. But the latest blow has been the unavailability of Josh Windass who suffered a blow against Motherwell and is now facing a race against time to bit for the Old Firm derby tie against Celtic in the Scottish Cup semifinal.
Formation (4-2-3-1)
Murty has experimented with several setups so far but mostly preferred a lone striker upfront. He is likely to field his side in a 4-2-3-1 formation which might also shift to a 4-4-1-1 pattern during the game.
Goalkeeper
Wes Foderingham has been regular between the sticks for the Glasgow giants and is set to feature in goal against the Dark Blues.
Defence
Fabio Cardoso, the summer signing of Pedro Caixinha, has become a forgotten figure under Murty. An ankle injury sustained in Old Firm derby will keep David Bates out for a few more weeks. Rangers, therefore, will lineup their veteran duo Bruno Alves and Russell Martin who are yet to convince as central defensive partners. James Tavernier has been consistent throughout the season and will start in his usual right-back role. Young Declan John, meanwhile, will be occupying the other flank on Saturday afternoon.
Midfield
The return of veteran Graham Dorrans in central midfield has brought back the balance who will be partnering Sean Goss in a deeper role. The latter might get a nod over youngster Greg Docherty who was not at his best against Motherwell last week. Daniel Candeias has recently earned a contract extension for his good work and will feature in his usual right-hand flank. Jamie Murphy, the Brighton & Hove Albion loanee, has made a positive impact since joining the Gers in winter and will slot in the opposite flank. Jason Cummings might be handed a start in absence of Josh Windass and the Nottingham Forest loanee might be exploited in an attacking midfield role to operate just from the behind of Morelos.
Attack
Alfredo Morelos, the Colombian hitman, has lost his form in recent weeks following a late howler against the age-old rivals Celtic last month and struggled to hit the net. He, too, will be keen on banging goals once more and end the season on a higher note clinching the highest scorer reward.
