Abdallah Sima dropped, Matondo returns to starting lineup – Rangers predicted XI v Ross County
Rangers could make just two changes to their starting lineup as they face Ross County in the third match of the Scottish Premiership campaign.
Michael Beale guided the Gers to a hard-fought 2-2 draw in their Champions League fourth-round qualifier against PSV on Tuesday (22 August) but now must focus on climbing up the domestic table.
While Beale may be tempted to rest some key players in anticipation of the away second leg against the Dutch side, they need to get more points on the board if they want to keep up with Celtic this season.
Jack Butland has cemented himself as Beale’s first choice after starting every Rangers game so far this season. Despite conceding two goals against PSV, he made numerous quality saves and his presence goes a long way in reassuring the defence in front of him.
The defence could remain unchanged for the Ross County clash. The centre-back partnership of John Souttar and Connor Goldson is developing into a reliable option for Beale with the pair earning a combined nine clearances and six blocks against PSV. [SofaScore]
The full-backs too proved their worth and will remain in the starting lineup. Captain James Tavernier will look to boost fans’ trust in him and has provided good performances in his last few starts, while Borna Barisic’s defensive solidity will be needed against the high-scoring Ross County side.
Further upfield, Ryan Jack could be set to lose his spot in the XI to be replaced by Rabbi Matondo. The Welshman made the difference from the bench in the Champions League and scored the key goal to get Rangers back in the lead. With four successful dribbles, four ground duels won and a goal in just 23 minutes against PSV, he has shown Beale he can make an impact.
Jose Cifuentes and Nicolas Raskin are also expected to keep their spots. While Cifuentes is yet to truly get into his stride at Ibrox, his quality and influence in the midfield is expected to emerge soon and he will relish the chance to have a go at Ross County’s defence.
Raskin must improve on his performance against PSV as he seemed unimpactful and struggled to leave his mark on the game, but would be preferred to other midfield options like Kieran Dowell for this clash.
Todd Cantwell was lucky to stay on the pitch at Ibrox on Tuesday but showed Beale why dropping him at the start of the season was a poor choice. The 25-year-old covered plenty of the pitch against PSV and his three successful long balls and two successful dribbles allowed Rangers to progress up the field and become a threat.
Up top, Abdallah Sima will be disappointed to lose his spot to Danilo. While his goal against the Dutch outfit sparked the tie into a thriller, the on-loan man failed to do much else with no key passes, just one successful dribble from four attempts and just two shots.
Danilo will hope to boost his goals against Ross County after an encouraging start to life at Rangers. Like most of the new recruits, he must do more to justify his price tag but Beale will back him to be a more regular threat as he makes his way back into the side.
Dessers struggled to make an impact in midweek and often found himself in deeper areas than a striker would like. He failed to get a single shot and made just 19 touches throughout the 81 minutes he was working. However, the potential is there and the PSV defence were solid. A top performance against Ross County is needed from the Nigerian, otherwise, his position could be at risk.
In other Rangers news, Ally McCoist and Kenny Miller were wowed by the Gers’ centre-back partnership against PSV.