Rangers team news v Dundee – Ridvan Yilmaz update as three missing for Dens Park
Ridvan Yilmaz and Mohamed Diomande will still not be available for the twice-postponed trip to face Dundee at Dens Park, Philippe Clement has confirmed.
The Light Blues boss revealed in his pre-match press conference on 16 April that the Turkish full-back and the Ivorian midfielder will not be back in time for the midweek fixture the following night as they look to bounce back from a shock loss at Ross County.
In addition, with doubts mounting over the defence, Leon Balogun has been ill in the past few days and is not totally fit.
Yilmaz was injured over the international break, and while there had been hopes he would be available again by the Old Firm derby with Celtic last week he is still not back to fitness, while Diomande underwent thumb surgery and missed the weekend trip to Dingwall.
Rangers reaction after Ross County defeat compulsory
The Light Blues have given themselves an uphill battle by dropping eight points in their last four league games, when the procession through 2024 prior to that had increasingly made it look like a first title in three years might be on its way back to Ibrox.
They almost certainly now have to go to Parkhead and win, something that also hasn’t been done in that time, and with big players’ form deserting them at a crucial stage that looks a daunting prospect once more.
However, having rejuvenated a title race once Clement at least knows the season remains in his side’s hands as they will be champions if they win all their games still, so if he can get a reaction now he is still in business.
One more slip up in this increasingly-controversial fixture though and that won’t be the case, while Dundee are far more of a challenge on paper than Ross County were supposed to be before the latter overwhelmed the Gers in Dingwall.
That Dens Park has been confirmed as the venue for the third attempt to stage this fixture brings with it the threat that more rain problems could disrupt it even further.
And since the issues around the second postponement last week appear to have contributed to a miserable subsequent display at the weekend that is clearly the last thing Clement and Rangers need.
In other Rangers news, a pair of senior Ibrox stars don’t “expect” to win the title over Celtic.
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