Rangers: Mark Guidi shares new Ridvan Yilmaz injury update ahead of Old Firm clash v Celtic
Rangers defender Ridvan Yilmaz is unlikely to feature for the Light Blues in their Old Firm showdown against Celtic, according to Mark Guidi.
The Light Blues face Brendan Rodgers’ Hoops at Ibrox on Sunday (7 April) as they look to pick up their first Old Firm win of the season, knowing three points would take them to the top of the Scottish Premiership.
While Philippe Clement has suggested Yilmaz has a 50/50 chance of featuring against Celtic, Sunday Mail’s chief football writer Guidi expects the Turkish international to miss out on the squad and believes Borna Barisic will start at left-back.
Speaking on The Go Radio Football Show (5 April, 4:45) he said: “No, I don’t expect Ridvan Yilmaz to play, whether it’s Barisic or Philippe Clement’s got something up his sleeve to cause a wee bit of a surprise.
“But no, I wouldn’t expect Yilmaz to play.”
Will Ridvan Yilmaz be fit to start for Philippe Clement and Rangers v Celtic?
Clement has never been a manager who has been willing to risk players who may be carrying a slight knock and it seems likely that he will only play Yilmaz in the Old Firm clash if he is 100 per cent sure the left-back will come through unscathed.
While the defender had an indifferent start to the season, he has quickly become one of Rangers’ most important players in recent months with his impressive performances giving the Gers a new dimension with and without the ball.
When Barisic starts in his place, the Light Blues look nowhere near as stable defensively and carry even less of a threat going forward. The Croatian hasn’t been good enough this season and could be exploited when faced with the Hoops’ quick attack.
Hopefully, Guidi will have got this one wrong and Yilmaz will shock everyone by returning to the fold at Ibrox on Sunday. This is a must-win game for both sides in the title race and it would be a shame if the Gers couldn’t field their strongest side.
In other Rangers news, Sam Lammers has been tipped to complete a £1.5million Ibrox exit this summer by one Ibrox insider
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.