Premiership giants Rangers will be looking to get back to winning ways in the league when they welcome Kilmarnock to the Ibrox Stadium this weekend. The Gers are coming into this tie on the back of a frustrating 0-0 draw against Livingston last time out, where despite having a variety of good chances, they were unable to find the back of the net. Kilmarnock, on the other hand, put in a forgettable display in their last outing, with them men losing 2-1 against St. Johnstone.
Killie is the last Scottish side that Celtic faced before the controversy surrounding Boli Bolingoli came up, and the Hoops were only able to secure a point from that fixture. A similar result against Steven Gerrard’s side could spell bad news for Rangers, who themselves dropped unexpected points last time around. With the match scheduled to kick-off on Saturday afternoon, Rangers will, albeit temporarily, have the chance to go a whopping nine points clear of the reigning champions on the Premiership table.
Team News
The Gers have been faced with a variety of injury concerns since the start of the season, and Gerrard will be hoping that things start going their way soon in terms of player fitness. Jermain Defoe and Nikola Katic both remain sidelined for this tie, which means that they are not going to be available for selection by Gerrard. Leon Balogun missed the last couple of outings with a minor quad problem, but there is every chance of the former Premier League man returning for this tie. Allan McGregor is likely to remain sidelined, which means that Jon McLaughlin is set to continue in between the sticks.
Here Is The Predicted 4-3-3 Rangers Lineup Vs Kilmarnock:
Predicted 4-3-3 Rangers Lineup Vs Kilmarnock
Formation: 4-3-3
Defence
With veteran stopper Allan McGregor facing an extended spell on the sidelines, summer acquisition Jon McLaughlin has stepped up to the plate in a fairly efficient manner. The former Sunderland man is hence expected to keep his place in the team. In front of the stopper, expect to see Gerrard’s preferred back-line duo of Connor Goldson and Leon Balogun back in action, with Filip Helander likely to drop down to the bench. Borna Barisic and James Tavernier should continue in the full-back slots as well.
Midfield
Ryan Jack is likely to feature as the Gers’ lone midfield pivot for this fixture, where he will be singlehandedly responsible for acting as the link between the defence and attack lines. Alongside him, Finnish ace Glen Kamara should start this tie as the box-to-box presence. Joe Aribo is expected to be the third name in the Bears’ midfield-line for this tie. The Nigerian midfielder has been a revelation in attack since the start of the season, and he is perhaps the one player that Gerrard cannot afford to drop at this time.
Attack
The performance levels of Romanian trickster Ianis Hagi has been dwindling over recent weeks. Still, the lack of options in the wide areas could force the gaffer into deploying the talented attacker down the flank yet again. Ryan Kent is expected to operate on the other side, from where he has offered a real goalscoring threat so far this season. Alfredo Morelos is expected to continue leading the Gers’ front-line, keeping his place in the side ahead of new signings Kemar Roofe and Cedric Itten.
