Rangers will be looking to build on their solid Premiership showing over the weekend when they return to domestic action this evening.
The Ibrox side travel to Edinburgh to face Hearts in what is a must-win match, especially if they want to keep within touching distance of Celtic at the summit of the table.
Philippe Clement will be buoyed by an improved showing against St Mirren recently, with a few players returning to form.
The Belgian will be without Nicolas Raskin tonight due to injury, however, while Ryan Jack and Scott Wright are building up their fitness and thus they will also be absent.
With the games coming thick and fast in the next few weeks, the 49-year-old will have to manage his squad well throughout December to prevent further injuries.
With this in mind, we predict that Clement will make two changes to the side from the weekend as they look to defeat a Hearts team who have won four of their previous five matches – the only defeat coming against the Light Blues.
1 GK – Jack Butland
The former Crystal Palace shot-stopper kept another clean sheet in the league on the weekend, taking him to nine shutouts across 14 matches and he will be hoping for another one tonight.
Butland has conceded just seven goals in these league matches and his presence between the posts has given Rangers an edge.
2 RB – James Tavernier
James Tavernier will once again lead the side out, and he will be hoping to continue his excellent form against the Jambos.
During the previous two meetings between the teams, the skipper has scored three goals and registered an assist and another performance like that this evening will go a long way to the Light Blues securing all three points.
3 CB – Connor Goldson
The Englishman sat out the recent 1-1 draw against Aris Limassol due to suspension, and it was clear the club missed him as they conceded a poor goal.
He returned for the tie against St Mirren and won six of his eight total duels during the tie, along with having a 93% pass success rate and losing possession just six times.
The 30-year-old will be the first name on the team sheet and another clean sheet will be the aim.
4 CB – John Souttar
The first change will come in the defence, as Souttar will replace Leon Balogun alongside Goldson for the clash tonight.
Balogun has been impressive in recent weeks and against Livingston last month, he won 13 out of 15 duels during the tie, showing his wonderful physical ability.
Due to the hectic nature of the festive season, however, he will drop to the bench for Souttar, who will take on his old club.
5 LB – Borna Barisic
The defender has just months left on his current contract and in order to extend his stay in Glasgow, the Croatian will need to put in some decent performances over the next few weeks.
Against St Mirren, the 31-year-old enjoyed a decent attacking display, making three key passes along with succeeding with his only dribble attempt, but he did lose possession 14 times due to his constant attacking threat.
6 CM – John Lundstram
The former Sheffield United midfielder is one of the first names on the team sheet under Clement, starting every single match since the new boss was announced in mid-October.
With Raskin and Jack missing the tie, while Cifuentes hasn’t quite settled in at the club, Lundstram is having to step up to the plate, and he hasn’t disappointed this term, that’s for sure.
7 CM – Tom Lawrence
Although not his usual position, Tom Lawrence was dropped slightly deeper against St Mirren on the weekend to make way for Todd Cantwell as the number ten, yet it worked wonderfully.
The Welshman was still able to drift forward and relied on Lundstram tidying things up behind him as he made two key passes and succeeded with his only dribble attempt in what was a solid display.
It showcased just how flexible he can be and while the 29-year-old has had some niggly injuries this term, Clement will be hoping he is fighting fit heading into the festive season.
8 RW – Ross McCausland
The youngster is now fully immersed in the senior squad and having just signed a contract extension until 2027, it is clear that Clement has plenty of faith in the player.
The 20-year-old even scored his very first goal for the Gers in their recent tie against Aris and this should only give him more confidence heading into the next few weeks, where his talent can play a huge part.
9 AM – Todd Cantwell
The former Norwich City starlet was hooked after just 36 minutes against Aris for neglecting to carry out Clement’s instructions after he was deployed on the right wing.
The midfielder naturally wasn’t happy, yet he was given the chance to shine in his preferred attacking midfield slot against St Mirren and showcased his true talents.
Not only did he make four key passes, but the 25-year-old took four shots in total and created one big chance. Clement will be hoping for a repeat of this against Hearts.
10 LW – Abdallah Sima
The on-loan winger was going through a bit of a goal drought before the weekend, failing to find the back of the net across his previous eight matches.
Against the Paisley outfit, however, Sima scored twice and was generally a menace throughout the tie. While at times inconsistent, there is no denying his attacking prowess and the 22-year-old is currently the second-highest scorer in the squad with 11 goals.
