It's a far cry from the situation Michael Beale inherited at Ibrox as even with Nicolas Raskin out this weekend, he has a host of midfield options to call upon.
Rangers welcome Dundee United at Ibrox as they look to pick up where they left off before the international break and cut Celtic's lead at the top back down to six points until Sunday afternoon at least. The break hasn't been kind though with Raskin picking up a knock that kept him out of Under-21 duty with Belgium and Beale admits he'll be without one of his star signings this weekend.
Beale said: “We’ll be missing Nico Raskin still. He’ll return to training at the start of next week. He’s racing ahead with his rehab but it’s too early for him. It was an issue that came up within the 24 hours before the Motherwell game, a problem with Nico’s thigh. He’s had a couple of weeks now but he’s still not ready. He’s been out doing some light jogging. He’s telling me he’s ready to train on Monday so we’ll see on Monday."
But it could be a case of no Raskin, no problem as Beale has other options to call upon. Ryan Jack is back up to speed after coming through Scotland duty unscathed while Todd Cantwell and John Lundstram seem likely to take the other starting berths. Malik Tillman and Glen Kamara, the former back fit after a few weeks out before the break, will also be hoping to force their way into the side though.
Further forward, Fashion Sakala looks undroppable after a fruitful break with Zambia and Antonio Colak and Ryan Kent have been recent fixtures in the forward positions. Borna Barisic is also back, and with that in mind, it would be a surprise to see Ridvan Yilmaz retain his spot.
Predicted Rangers XI
Provisional Rangers squad
Goalkeepers
Allan McGregor
Jon McLaughlin
Robby McCrorie
Defenders
- James Tavernier
- Borna Barisic
- Adam Devine
- Ben Davies
- Connor Goldson
- John Souttar
- Ridvan Yilmaz
Midfielders
Ryan Jack
Glen Kamara
Malik Tillman
Scott Arfield
Ryan Kent
Scott Wright
Fashion Sakala
Todd Cantwell
John Lundstram
Ianis Hagi
Alex Lowry
Forwards
Alfredo Morelos
Antonio Colak
Fashion Sakala
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