Glasgow Rangers return to Premiership action on Sunday for the first time since their Old Firm defeat at the start of the month.
The 3-0 defeat to Celtic was certainly an eye-opener for Philippe Clement, and he will soon have to get positive results in this fixture, otherwise he might start coming under serious pressure.
Judging by the performances and results so far, the Belgian should be starting to feel some nerves with regard to where his team are going, as three wins from seven games is poor.
Several players will miss the clash, as Ridvan Yilmaz, Danilo, and Rabbi Matondo face a few more weeks on the sidelines.
This opens up a few spaces in the squad for a couple of new signings to come in and stake a claim in the starting XI, that’s for sure.
Ahead of the match, we at Football FanCast predict the starting XI that Clement will unleash at Tannadice on Sunday afternoon…
1
GK – Jack Butland
The Englishman hasn’t quite been at his imperious best so far this season. The goalkeeper has featured in every minute of every match for the club but has kept just three clean sheets across those seven matches.
He conceded three times against Celtic and could have done better with at least one of the goals as Kyogo Furuhashi found the back of the net from range with ease. Pressure will be on for the former Stoke shot-stopper to help the Light Blues secure all three points on Sunday.
2
RB – James Tavernier
The captain has also struggled to perform to the levels of previous seasons, registering only two assists from seven matches.
Last season, he scored 24 goals in all competitions, yet he doesn’t look like scoring. Could this be the final chapter at Ibrox for the defender? He will have only one more year on his current contract at the end of the season.
3
CB – John Souttar
The Scot has emerged as Clement’s first-choice centre-back since he took over last October and Souttar will start against the club at which he made his league debut aged just 16 back in January 2013.
Having played alongside Robin Propper and Leon Balogun so far during the current campaign, will Clement start either of these two players? Or will a summer arrival slot into the starting XI for the first time?
4
CB – Neraysho Kasanwirjo
Robin Propper struggled to cope with the pace and relentlessness of the Celtic front three a few weeks ago, which means he could well be dropped in place of his compatriot.
Kasanwirjo arrived on a season-long loan deal from Feyenoord, where he made two appearances in the Eredivisie earlier this season.
He has operated at right-back recently, but centre-back is where the defender is most comfortable, indicating that he could make his first start for Rangers against United.
5
LB – Jefte
The Brazilian will continue as the main left-back until Yilmaz recovers from his injury, which may take another couple of weeks.
Jefte has made five appearances this season, with two coming in the Premiership. He has demonstrated his attacking qualities by succeeding with 1.5 dribbles per game and this could come in handy on Sunday at Tannadice.
6
CM – Connor Barron
The former Aberdeen starlet has settled into the Gers midfield with ease, showcasing why he was wanted by a host of teams during the summer transfer window.
The 22-year-old has played in every match so far, establishing himself as a key member of the starting XI, and he will only continue to get better.
7
CM – Mohamed Diomande
Alongside Barron, Diomande has also been performing fairly well. In four league matches, the Ivorian has created two big chances, averaging 0.8 key passes per game while succeeding with 1.5 dribbles per game, underlining how effective he is going forwards.
Defensively, the midfielder has won 50% of his total duels per game along with being dribbled past just 0.3 times per match, showcasing his skills when his team does not have the ball.
8
RW – Vaclav Cerny
The Czech winger made one appearance for his country in the Nations League recently, grabbing an assist against Ukraine, while also creating one big chance and succeeding with 100% of his dribble attempts during the match.
He should be unleashed in the starting XI due to this performance, and he has all the tools to cause chaos for the Dundee United defence on Sunday.
9
AM – Nedim Bajrami
The Albanian attacking midfielder was a deadline day signing by Clement, but he didn’t make the squad against Celtic due to paperwork issues.
His time could come against United, however. Bajrami played twice for his country in the Nations League, yet he failed to score or grab an assist in either match,
Hailed as an “intelligent” player by Kai Watson, founder of the Rangers Journal, the midfielder could give the club that extra bit of quality they are craving in the number ten slot.
10
LW – Oscar Cortes
The winger has been out injured since the opening weekend of the season, but Clement stated that the Colombian had played 60 minutes in a closed-doors game during the international break.
With Matondo out injured, there aren’t many players to choose from on the left flank, which suggested Cortes may be thrown in at the deep end, but this could prove to be a gamble due to his lack of match fitness.
11
ST – Cyriel Dessers
Hamza Igamane played his first minutes for the club during the final quarter of the Old Firm clash, but it will be Dessers who starts against United tomorrow.
The Nigerian has scored five goals in seven games thus far, but he will need to start scoring in the important games, such as those against the likes of Celtic.
The 29-year-old will be looking to get his confidence back following a poor showing in the derby. Scoring a couple against the Tannadice outfit will be the perfect remedy for this.
Predicted Rangers XI vs Dundee United – GK – Butland; RB – Tavernier, CB – Souttar, CB – Kasanwirjo, LB – Jefte; CM – Barron, CM – Diomande; RW – Cerny, AM – Bajrami, LW – Cortes; ST – Dessers
