The action is going to come thick and fast after the international break as Rangers would be playing five games in 14 days with Scottish Premiership, League Cup semi-finals and Europa League qualifications on the line. Steven Gerrard would hope that he can have all his major players fit for these games but the gaffer has suffered a little bit of a setback as Nikola Katic is currently out with injury. Even though Gerrard has preferred the partnership of Joe Worrall and Connor Goldson off late, it is likely that Katic would have gotten some game time in this hectic period.
As long as the Croatian is out, Gerrard would hope that his two-main defenders can remain fit. However, we believe it’s time for the gaffer to make use of his veteran defender Gareth McAuley in this busy period. The 38-year-old has suffered from some fitness and injury issues, but he should be back by the time club football returns after the international break.
McAuley was signed in September after the transfer window ended as he was a free agent. The Northern Irish centre-back last played in the Premier League for West Bromwich Albion, and he should still be good enough to handle the challenges of the Scottish Premiership.
Maybe we can see Gerrard giving him an opportunity straightaway after the international break as the Gers would take on Hamilton. However, the gaffer needs to make sure that they get an away win under their name soon as Rangers are yet to win an away tie since February. So we might see Gerrard going in with the strongest centre-back partnership for that game.
The 38-year-old has the experience of playing in over 200 games in the English top flight, and the veteran centre-back can be termed as a smart addition by Gerrard late on in the transfer window. He might not have the pace which the young centre-backs have, but he reads the situations well and is extremely strong in the air. McAuley has often scored crucial goals for the Baggies in the Premier League so one shouldn’t be surprised if he finds himself on the scoresheet while attacking set pieces for the Gers.
Managing game time of Goldson and Worrall would be crucial for Gerrard, and that is the reason why he went in for a fifth centre-back signing in the market. The gaffer would hope that Katic’s injury isn’t too serious as this season’s crunch time is fast approaching.
Rangers did some smart business by bringing in 15 players in the summer by not spending much and now would be the real test for the squad. Players like McAuley needs to step up and Gerrard should give him some game time to ease some pressure of the main centre-backs.
