Rejuvenated Rangers passed the Aberdeen test on Sunday afternoon en route to clinching the League Cup title. They are in the driver’s seat to claim a domestic treble and the upcoming contest against St Johnstone would be crucial to close the gap with Celtic at the top of the Premiership standings.
The Light Blues registered a routine 2-0 victory in the reverse tie at McDiarmid Park. They remain firm favourites to grab all three points on Wednesday night, however, gaffer Philippe Clement has little room for squad rotation amid injuries and suspension to an array of key first-team stars.
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Rangers Lineup To Face St Johnstone
Defence
Jack Butland was hardly tested between the sticks at Hampden Park and the Gers’ English custodian should aim for another clean sheet this midweek in their own backyard. After waiting patiently for years, it is time for Robby McCrorie to explore his options in winter.
Skipper James Tavernier led by example yet again as he scored the solitary goal of the League Cup final. His presence down the right can’t be emulated, but we might see Borna Barisic rested in favour of Ridvan Yilmaz on the left. Leon Balogun returned to Ibrox as a sporadic centre-half, but his ball-playing ability and front-foot defending have earned him a starting status in the heart of the backline. The veteran Nigerian must partner with Connor Goldson who has been rock-solid in deep defence since joining the Glasgow giants in the summer of 2018.
Midfield
The absence of Nicolas Raskin, Jose Cifuentes, Ryan Jack, Tom Lawrence, Steven Davis and Kieran Dowell left Clement with John Lundstram as the only senior central midfield option available for selection. The Belgian boss has deployed fullback Dujon Sterling as a makeshift midfielder in recent games, and a change of role is now helping the former Chelsea youngster revive his career after a difficult start to life north of the border. Sterling and Lundstram must form the ‘double pivot’ similar to the Aberdeen encounter.
Meanwhile, Rangers have ample quality down the flanks with Abdallah Sima, Ross McCausland, Rabbi Matondo, Sam Lammers, Scott Wright and Todd Cantwell all being rotated extensively to inject versatility and variation in and around the attacking third. Sima has been exquisite with his flair and finesse, also, the academy sensation McCausland is expected to feature from the right having emerged as a lethal weapon in the senior setup. Todd Cantwell must exhibit his creative spark as a ‘number 10’ and offer his work rate and link-up trait between midfield and attack.
Attack
Kemar Roofe should be handed a start high up the pitch in favour of resting Cyriel Dessers. Danilo is ruled out for months with a knee injury and the manager, therefore, must manage both Roofe and Dessers’ minutes carefully to avoid further setbacks.
