How the two Scottish Cup finalists are expected to line up at Hampden

Rangers manager Philippe Clement faces several key decisions on his team for this afternoon’s Scottish Cup final clash against Celtic – but he has revealed that midfielder Ryan Jack will not start at Hampden.

The experienced 32-year-old midfielder is now back to full fitness and was included in Steve Clarke’s preliminary Scotland squad for Euro 2024. However, Clement has explained why he will not start against Celtic. “I can say that you cannot start the game with Ryan Jack,” the Belgian said. “It’s impossible. As a player he has a lot of qualities but he’s not fit enough to start a game like this with the intensity around it. The national team is something else. They don’t play [today], they play in a few weeks.”

Clement is set to be without key central defender Connor Goldson due to injury, with John Souttar and Leon Balogun also battling to be fit to partner Ben Davies in the heart of Rangers’ defence. There are fitness doubts over left-backs Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz, while further up the pitch, forward Abdallah Sima may only be fit enough to start from the bench. Clement does have options in midfield now that John Lundstram is free from suspension. The Liverpudlian was sent off in Rangers’ 2-1 defeat by Celtic in the Premiership earlier this month but has now served his two-match ban. He is likely to regain his place in the starting XI.

Ryan Jack is not ready to start for Rangers today, according to manager Philippe Clement.

Conversely, Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers does not have many injury issues at all. The Northern Irishman has been shorn of the services of many key players for much of this season but he will be in the position to name his first-choice team for this latest Old Firm clash. He is likely to go with the same team that defeated Rangers at Celtic Park in the league, meaning that experienced winger James Forrest is preferred to Luis Palma on the wing.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart will play his last professional match of a glittering career. The 37-year-old, who won numerous trophies with Manchester City and has been capped 75 times by England, has decided to hang up the gloves at the end of this season.

Predicted Celtic team: Hart; Johnston, Carter-Vickers, Scales, Taylor; Hatate, McGregor, O’Riley; Forrest, Furuhashi, Maeda.

Predicted Rangers team: Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Davies, Yilmaz; Diomande, Lundstram, Sterling; McCausland, Dessers, Silva.

Referee: Nick Walsh.

Celtic v Rangers late team news as Ryan Jack situation revealed and Brendan Rodgers' Scottish Cup XI

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