Premiership leaders Rangers will be looking to maintain their three-point lead over Celtic on the league table when they travel to Easter Road to take on Hibernian this Sunday evening. Steven Gerrard’s men are coming into this fixture on the back of a comfortable Europa League victory in midweek, where they demolished Gibraltar-based club Lincoln Red Imps by a whopping 5-0 scoreline. Despite a positive win, the number of injuries that Gerrard has to deal with has now built up even further.
For all the good attacking work that the likes of Ryan Kent and Kemar Roofe have done, it must be conceded that the defenders deserve a lot more credit. With the eight league game of the season approaching, the Ibrox club’s defensive record is the envy of all the other teams in the division. Yet to concede a single goal from their last seven league outings, Rangers defenders have all been in brilliant form since the new campaign commenced. A Hibs victory in this encounter would allow them to replace Rangers at the top of the league table.
Team News
The Ibrox club started the season with pretty much a complete roster to choose from, but over the last few weeks, Rangers players have been dropping like flies. The knock to Joe Aribo came as a big hit to Gerrard’s plans, while the injuries to Brandon Barker and Leon Balogun have done little to help their cause. The return of Alfredo Morelos would’ve undoubtedly come as good news to the Gers. Still, with Ryan Jack unavailable for selection as well, the upcoming month promises to be a difficult one for Glasgow club.
Here Is The Predicted 4-2-3-1 Rangers Lineup Vs Hibernian:
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Rangers Lineup Vs Hibernian
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Defence
Allan McGregor was brought back into the first team by Gerrard for the midweek clash, but that doesn’t mean that he’s replaced McLaughlin as the first-choice. The former Sunderland man has been as secure as can be in between the sticks so far, with not a single goal conceded since his introduction. In front of him, expect to see Filip Helander returning to the starting eleven to be deployed alongside the experienced head of Connor Goldson. Borna Barisic and James Tavernier should start in their usual full-back slots.
Midfield
Scott Arfield and Glen Kamara was the pairing that started the midweek fixture against the Red Imps. Although the Finnish youngster is expected to retain his place in the side, Gerrard could opt to drop Arfield back down to the bench. The services of veteran anchor Steven Davis could be called upon by the manager for this tie. While Davis will be responsible for sitting in front of the defenders and offering protection, Kamara will be asked to drive forward and make things happen in the final third.
Attack
The injury to Kemar Roofe in midweek means that Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos is likely to start this vital league fixture against the Hibs. While Gerrard has confirmed that the former Leeds man will be fit for this weekend’s encounter, we simply don’t see him starting.
Behind the Colombian, expect to see Romanian starlet Ianis Hagi in the number ten slot. Ryan Kent was another one of the first-team names that was rested for the game against the Red Imps. This means that the former Liverpool speedster is also set to return to the starting eleven. Swiss attacker Cedric Itten was deployed in the wide role in the Europa League and did well enough to retain his place in the side.
