Rangers locked horns with St Mirren over the weekend and a brace from Abdallah Sima brought them back to winning ways. Despite having a game in hand, the Light Blues are well behind Celtic in the Premiership race, and the midweek tie against Hearts could result in further misery unless they step up their game at Tynecastle.
The Jamtarts are enjoying a blistering league run with four back-to-back wins since their defeat against Rangers just over a month back. The Gers also knocked them out of the League Cup semifinal a week later and the Jambos, therefore, must be desperate for a result when they host Philippe Clement’s juggernaut on Wednesday night.
Predicted 4-2-3-1 Rangers Lineup To Face Hearts
Defence
Jack Butland pulled off some key saves and registered a clean sheet against the Saints. He is likely to be tested again while clashing heads with Hearts from the last line of defence.
Skipper James Tavernier must maintain his supremacy down the right with persistent attacking threats but, at the same time, should perform his defensive responsibilities more often. Borna Barisic is expected to get the nod over Ridvan Yilmaz, also, Connor Goldson remains irreplaceable for his towering presence in the heart of the backline. John Souttar could be restored in place of Leon Balogun against his former employers.
Midfield
Jose Cifuentes should return to the starting XI and form a ‘double pivot’ alongside John Lundstram. Injuries to Nicolas Raskin, Ryan Jack and Kieran Dowell have decimated the options deep down the midfield.
Despite starting as a ‘number six’ versus St Mirren, Tom Lawrence had the privilege to exhibit his attacking traits under little pressure from the opponents. He won’t be the best fit for that role versus the in-form Hearts, but the gaffer should deploy him as a ‘number 10′ to utilize his creative spark. Ross McCausland is making strides in the senior setup, but a promising display against the Buddies could see Todd Cantwell featuring from the right replacing the Gers’ academy prodigy. Sima has cemented his place down the left even though Rabbi Matondo is back and available for selection. Scott Wright and Sam Lammers are also there to challenge and cover the first-team stars.
Attack
Cyriel Dessers was handed a start on Sunday evening but is likely to be dropped in favour of Danilo after failing to impress. Meanwhile, Kemar Roofe has slipped down the pecking order due to form and fitness reasons.
