Rangers confirmed starting line-up v Partick Thistle: Nicolas Raskin starts
Michael Beale has named his Rangers starting XI to face Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup fifth-round tie on Sunday (12 February).
The Bears are undefeated under Beale so far and they are heading into this match on the back of a 2-1 win over Ross County in the Scottish Premiership.
The Gers boss has made seven changes to the side from the last game. Only James Tavernier, Ben Davies and Borna Barisic have retained their place. January signing Nicolas Raskin starts for the Gers, while senior player Alfredo Morelos is dropped.
Ianis Hagi, Antonio Colak, Glenn Kamara, Allan McGregor, James Sands and Malik Tillman have come into the side in place of Jon McLaughlin, Connor Goldson, John Lundstram, Ryan Kent, Fashion Sakala and Alfredo Morelos.
Momentum
Rangers will face Celtic in the Via Play club final later this month and they will have to keep the momentum going.
This is a good distraction for them, as Beale will be able to rotate the squad to give chances to fringe players and integrate new signings.
However, the key here is momentum. At Ibrox, they have to win this game. A convincing victory here will add more to their confidence which is growing with every single victory.
They have won five games in a row in all competitions, and the players have responded to Beale’s methods. With the title race as good as over, Rangers must aim to win domestic trophies to this season.
The Bears have added depth to their squad in the January window, and it will make the squad even better.
The next few months are also crucial for several squad players at the club who are fighting to save their futures at Ibrox.
In other Rangers news, there are “serious doubts” over the fitness of one striker for the Viaplay Cup final against Celtic.