Cyriel Dessers and Borna Barisic axed by Michael Beale – Predicted Rangers XI vs Livingston
Michael Beale is predicted to make three changes to his Rangers starting XI for the Viaplay Cup quarter final against Livingston at Ibrox, including axing Cyriel Dessers for Kemar Roofe.
The Light Blues won their last game at home to Motherwell on Sunday (24 September), but the 1-0 result was fortunate and the team was booed off by the Gers crowd, leaving Beale under pressure once more.
With Celtic already out the Light Blues boss will know he has to lift this trophy if he is going to have a long-term future at the club, and with injuries mounting anyway he can’t afford to be resting players against David Martindale’s side.
Rabbi Matondo limped off at the weekend to add to the injury woes, with Tom Lawrence ruled out before the game until after the international break [Rangers Review, 24 September] with what had initially been thought was “cramp”.
They join key midfielders Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin as unavailable for a similar timeframe, along with Danilo as he recovers from a facial fracture sustained in scoring against St Johnstone a week and a half ago.
Dessers, a £4.5million signing this summer [Daily Mail, 4 July] came in for criticism for his performance in the Motherwell win, despite scoring the only goal of the game via a deflection, and was embarrassed by Stephen Craigan on BBC Sportsound as he was compared to Well’s Theo Blair [via Daily Record, 25 September].
He is predicted to drop out so that Kemar Roofe can start, with the Jamaica international having quickly become one of the first names on the team sheet if fit this season despite the expensively assembled new forward line, and the attacking hopes rest heavily on him.
Abdallah Sima is tipped to come in for Matondo, and it comes to something that Scott Wright is predicted to keep his starting spot despite looking for all the world like he was gone this summer.
With Cantwell and Lawrence out Sam Lammers has to keep his place as the most advanced midfielder, despite the Dutchman’s own difficult start to life at Ibrox.
John Lundstram has come back to the fore of late, leaving new man Jose Cifuentes and Ryan Jack to fight for the second midfield spot.
Beale hasn’t started the Scotland international since the Old Firm defeat on 3 September, and with his side winning since, if unconvincingly, without conceding a goal the Ecuadorian should get the nod again.
The same applies for the centre-back partnership of Ben Davies and Connor Goldson, with the former replacing John Souttar for the past three victories, while Rangers captain James Tavernier will always be in the XI.
As will Jack Butland in goal, but Beale is predicted to drop Borna Barisic for Ridvan Yilmaz with the Turk offering more dynamism down the left.
With the Rangers boss omitting the former Beskitas defender from the Europa League squad yet surprisingly then starting him at St Johnston he is more likely to play here, as his confusing life at the club continues.
The Rangers boss can’t afford anything other than advancing to the semi final of the competition on Wednesday or he may be paying with his job, but he is going to have to do it with a host of key men missing.
In other Rangers news, Martindale has issued a “guarantee” about the Gers supporters ahead of the match.