Steven Gerrard’s Rangers side will be hoping to keep their perfect start to the Premiership season going when they welcome St.Johnstone to the Ibrox Stadium this Wednesday. The Gers are coming into this tie on the back of a comfortable 3-0 victory over St.Mirren, where Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos scored two goals to take the tie away from the visitor’s grasp completely. Having played in two fixtures in the league so far, Gerrard’s men are yet to concede a goal as well.
Their midweek outing against Bayer Leverkusen last week didn’t go exactly to plan, as a second-half goal from Moussa Diaby proved to be the difference between the two sides. The Gers’ attack-line looked extremely toothless during that fixture, and a similar performance in the Premiership could end up having dire consequences. The visitors are preparing to play in just their second league fixture of the season, having drawn 1-1 against Dundee United in their opening match of the campaign.
Team News
The Ibrox club have been on a shopping spree over recent weeks, having brought in a new defender as well as two fresh central strikers. While Leon Balogun has already slotted into the Bears’ back-line pretty efficiently, Gerrard has been trying to ease into the striker situation. The question marks surrounding the future of Alfredo Morelos are arguably what prompted the manager to make such a move, and if the Colombian ends up not leaving, then the gaffer could have a tough selection task on his hands. The only real injury concern for the Ibrox club comes in the form of a hamstring problem to veteran striker Jermain Defoe.
Here Is The Predicted 4-3-3 Rangers Lineup Vs St. Johnstone:
Predicted 4-3-3 Rangers Lineup Vs St. Johnstone
Defence
Jon McLaughlin was given the nod to start by Steven Gerrard last weekend. The veteran goalie is however expected to return to his rightful place in between the sticks for this encounter. In front of him, the centre-half duo of Leon Balogun and Connor Goldson has been faultless in the last two outings, which means that they’re set to retain their places in the side, alongside the regular full-backs Borna Barisic and James Tavernier.
Midfield
The Bears’ three-man midfield is responsible for ensuring that the transition between defending and attacking occurs seamlessly. Ryan Jack sits in front of the back-line and provides added cover, while he is also the player from whose feet most of the Gers’ attacks start. Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo have been deployed in slightly more advanced roles than the Scot so far this season, and that trend is going to continue. While Kamara will have to drop back and defend too, Aribo will be tasked with helping out in attack as well.
Attack
Although there were various signs of positivity during the pre-season stage, Romanian midfield Ianis Hagi has failed to impress during his first couple of Premiership fixtures as a permanent Rangers Player. His first touch has been a let down on multiple instances, and Gerrard is sure to be concerned about his end-product. Despite this, the attacker is set to continue on the flanks, alongside Ryan Kent on the opposite side. Although Cedric Itten and Kemar Roofe are both likely to be available for selection, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Gerrard opting to play Morelos from the start for this outing as well.
