Rangers will aim to exercise the ghosts of a difficult week at Ibrox and relieve pressure on under-fire head coach Philippe Clement by defeating Motherwell in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday (kick-off: 3pm).
Clement heads desperate for a morale-boosting win after Rangers’ nightmare start to the domestic campaign continued on Wednesday with a 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen. The result left the Gers trailing both Celtic and Aberdeen by nine points in the Scottish Premiership and left many calling for the Belgian to be dismissed.
As for Motherwell, head coach Stuart Kettlewell will hope to pile further misery onto the Ibrox boss after an impressive 2-1 win over Dundee United at Tannadice in midweek. The Fir Park outfit are just three points behind Rangers in the league and will head into this weekend’s semi-final with confidence they can topple their opponents and make a first domestic final since the 2017/18 season.
Both sides have several injury concerns heading into the game, with Rangers missing Rabbi Matondo, Ridvan Yilmaz and Oscar Cortes, while Vaclav Cerny and Danilo are both doubts after recent injuries. Paul McGinn, Harry Paton and Stephen O’Donnell are all confirmed absentees for the ‘Well.
With defeat unthinkable for Rangers head coach Clement, picking a team that can navigate the tricky challenge of Motherwell and progress to the final of the League Cup is absently crucial for the Belgian head coach. So how will the Rangers team line-up on Sunday afternoon?
The Scotsman predict the Rangers starting XI for their crucial Premier Sports Cup clash at Hampden:
1. GK: Jack Butland
Rangers' undisputed number one, Butland starts in goal at Hampden. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group
2. RB: James Tavernier
His mistake at Pittodrie proved costly, but Tavernier will lead Rangers out in Sunday's semi-final as one of the club's most experienced stars. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group
3. CB: John Souttar
A regular under Philippe Clement, Souttar is a guaranteed starter against Motherwell. | SNS Group Photo: SNS Group
4. CB: Leon Balogun
Will face competition from Robin Propper for a spot in the defence, but with the pressure at an all-time high for Philippe Clement, we expect him to turn to one of his most trusted lieutenants this Sunday. | Getty Images Photo: Getty Images