Rangers could secure a vital three points this evening at Ibrox against St Johnstone
Glasgow Rangers secured their 28th League Cup triumph on the weekend, and it marked the first trophy for Philippe Clement – a mere two months after he took charge of the Ibrox side.
While the celebrations would have went on into the Glasgow night on Sunday, the focus will switch back to Premiership action as they take on St Johnstone at Ibrox this evening.
With Celtic losing their previous two matches, the door is now ajar for the Light Blues to take advantage and a win tonight could close the gap to just two points, while they still have another game in hand.
Following the energy-sapping cup final at Hampden, there could be a few changes to the starting XI ahead of the tie against the Saints.
Rangers team news
The good news is the club don’t have any fresh injuries after the 1-0 against Aberdeen and this will be key ahead of the busy festive spell.
The bad news, however, is several players remain unavailable. Jose Cifuentes, Ryan Jack, Tom Lawrence, Nico Raskin and Danilo remain injured.
Clement spoke to the media prior to the clash, saying: “No players will return who were not involved in the cup final on Sunday. There are no other players coming back.
“I don’t have a timescale on Jose Cifuentes, but a few days ago we were told it would be worse, but he has had a good reaction to treatment.
“I hope he can be back for the winter break. Ryan Jack we will see if he can be back for the winter break also.”
While there may not be a huge number of changes, Clement could perhaps give one or two players a rest this evening and Ross McCausland could be one who drops to the bench.
Ross McCausland’s season in numbers
The Northern Irishman has enjoyed a wonderful few months at the club as he has worked his way from academy starlet to first-team regular, taking advantage of injuries to senior players.
Having made his first team debut at the end of the 2021/22 season against Hearts, the youngster made only one appearance for the Gers during the dismal 2022/23 campaign.
This season has been much more productive. The 20-year-old made his first appearance of the campaign with a cameo against Aris Limassol under interim coach Steven Davis, before playing 49 minutes against St Mirren just a few days later.
With options on the right wing few and far between, Clement gradually eased him into the first team setup, and he made his first start against Livingston at the beginning of November.
Not only did the winger have a goal disallowed, but his pace and trickery allowed him to win a penalty for the club and his performance was solid, especially considering it was his maiden start for the Gers.
Against Aris at Ibrox in the Europa League, McCausland finally scored his first goal for the Glasgow side in what was a lively performance which saw him attempt seven dribbles while making one key pass, and it looked as though he had finally announced himself.
Having now emerged as a reliable performer for the Belgian, might the 49-year-old coach give him the night off against the Saints? Especially with ties against Ross County, Motherwell, and a blockbuster game against Celtic to come before 2024.
There is one person waiting in the wings who could replace him in the starting XI, as Rabbi Matondo could do with an outing from the first whistle in order to build up his match fitness.
Rabbi Matondo’s statistics at Rangers
The Welshman joined the Gers under former boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst for a fee in the region of £3m during the summer transfer window in 2022.
The former Manchester City starlet had enjoyed a productive season at Belgian side Cercle Brugge on loan from Schalke, scoring ten goals and registering two assists, and this form saw him secure a move to the Light Blues.
Hailed as “electrifying” by former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs, Matondo was signed in order to bolster the attacking options at the club, yet his first season didn’t exactly go to plan at all.
Indeed, across 28 matches in all competitions, he failed to score while registering just five assists, and he certainly wasn’t looking anything like a £3m player at times.
His profligacy in the Champions League was alarming, as the 23-year-old failed to create a big chance, register an assist, or made a key pass during his five outings in Europe’s premier club competition, and he also succeeded with just 0.2 successful dribbles.
The club slumped to the bottom of their group and by the end of the season, it looked as though Michael Beale was looking to move him on after just 12 months in Scotland.
A solid preseason boosted his confidence, however, and against Morton in the League Cup, Matondo looked back to his old self, being a constant menace on the right wing.
| Domestic statistics this season | Ross McCausland | Rabbi Matondo |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 0 | 1 |
| Assists | 0 | 2 |
| Key passes per game | 1 | 1 |
| Successful dribbles per game | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| Big chances created | 1 | 1 |
Before scoring his first goal for the team in a pivotal Champions League match at Ibrox against PSV Eindhoven, he made an impression against Livingston in the team’s second league match of the season and picked up an assist.
He appeared to be improving under Beale as he had two goals and two assists in the first six weeks of the 2023–24 campaign. However, he sustained a significant injury against Motherwell that required him to be substituted in the first half and kept him out of action for the following six weeks.
The winger will make his first start under the former AS Monaco head coach this evening against the Saints. Clement has eased him back into the game to avoid the possibility of him overdoing it.
While Matondo could undoubtedly terrorize a defense that has allowed 23 goals this season, McCausland would still be a great option to use off the bench.
Another three points will be vital in the race for the league championship as his speed and ingenuity on the right wing might cause serious difficulties for the opposition.
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