Rangers v Middlesbrough preview: Team news, lineups, prediction
Rangers continue their pre-season preparations against Middlesbrough on Saturday.
The Gers will host the Championship outfit at Ibrox (26 July), looking to maintain their momentum ahead of the new season.
Russell Martin‘s reign got off to the best possible start as his side secured a 2-0 win over Panathinaikos in the first leg of their Champions League qualifying clash, which was the Englishman’s first competitive match.
Rangers v Middlesbrough Preview
The Gers have had a mixed start to the Martin era, they drew with Club Brugge in his first pre-season friendly, but dispatched their European opposition easily when it mattered.
The Scottish Premiership outfit will head into the contest against the English side full of confidence after dispatching the Greek side, but they may take it cautiously.
That is because there is still the issue of the away leg, in which the Athens side could overturn the deficit and knock the Light Blues out of Europe’s top competition.
Meanwhile, Boro have generally gotten the better of Martin when they have faced him, but they are yet to make any signings, which has angered their fanbase.
Their last friendly was a 3-3 draw with League One Mansfield Town, which showed their lack of depth, as the fringe players did not impress.
Form Guide (All competitions)
Rangers: DW
Middlesbrough: LD
Team News
The Gers could choose to rest several starters from their midweek success.
The likes of Jack Butland, Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande could be given the day off in order to keep them fresh for the crucial return leg in Greece on 30 July.
Thelo Aasgaard missed the clash with Panathinaikos, but Cyriel Dessers, Hamza Igamane and Djeide Gassama featured from the bench, and they could increase their fitness in the friendly.
Meanwhile, the visitors will be without Fin Azaz and George Edmundson through injury, and Rav Van Den Berg could miss out due to transfer speculation.
Predicted line-ups
Rangers: Kelly; Aarons, Fernandez, Davies, Jefte; Rice, Barron, Cameron; Igamane, Dessers, Gassama
Middlesbrough: Glover; Bangura, Borges, Lenihan, Fry, Ayling; Hackney, Morris, McGree; Whittaker, Conway
Prediction: Rangers 2-0 Middlesbrough
Given the poor form that the English side have shown so far in pre-season, they should be no match for the Light Blues.
Considering the strength of the team that Martin could choose for the clash, as he tries to build up match fitness, it could be a sorry afternoon for the North East outfit.
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