Unbeaten in nine Scottish Premiership matches, second-placed Rangers travel to St. Mirren on Saturday with a Premier Sports Cup final place already secured, courtesy of a 1-0 win over Aberdeen at Hampden Park.
Derek McInnes has the Light Blues four points behind leaders Celtic, and this Rangers Predicted Lineup has to work around a long injury list. It is Rangers’ first away game against the Buddies this season, at The Marbill Coaches Stadium. They beat the eighth-placed hosts twice at Ibrox, 5-1 in the cup and 1-0 in the league through a stoppage-time goal, yet McInnes has warned that St. Mirren have the tools to hurt his side.
Goalkeeper and defence
Pandur kept the clean sheet at Hampden, and nothing suggests McInnes will break up that back line. Sterling and Penrice remain the full-backs, with Fernandez and Makhanya in the middle. St. Mirren will play direct, so the full-backs must pick their moments to attack while the centre-backs stay ready to cover the space behind them.
Having conceded once in two meetings, Rangers know how narrow the margins can be. The squad is stretched elsewhere: Kabia and Dijksteel are out until mid-November, Ayunga until early January with a cruciate ligament injury, and Agrafiotis and Baccus have early-November return dates, so neither is a certainty.
Midfield
Raskin and Rommens kept their places against Aberdeen and should anchor a 4-2-3-1 again. Raskin sets the tempo from deep, while Rommens supplies the running that lets the full-backs push up without leaving Rangers stretched. Cammy Devlin’s long-term hamstring problem removes a natural ball-winner, so this pair carry the defensive load against a side likely to contest every second ball.
Neither can afford a loose pass in front of their own back four, because St. Mirren will look to punish turnovers quickly. Staying close together is their best protection. If Rangers keep the ball moving patiently, the hosts get fewer chances to counter.
Attack
Ryan Naderi has stepped up in the absence of Lawrence Shankland, who is also out long-term with a hamstring injury, and his goal involvements are a major reason Rangers sit four points behind Celtic. He keeps the number 10 role behind Kelsy, who leads the line, with Daisuke Yokota and Youssef Chermiti also ruled out.
Kelsy must occupy both centre-backs and create room for Naderi’s runs from deep. Kim on the right and Bouanani on the left supply width and will find space if St. Mirren sit in a block. The risk is impatience, because a hurried final ball would suit a hosts’ side that defends in numbers. McInnes has little reason to change a front four that delivered at Hampden.
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Pandur; Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice; Raskin, Rommens; Kim, Naderi, Bouanani; Kelsy.
