Glasgow Rangers will be hoping to return to winning ways as they resume their Premiership campaign this afternoon with a trip to Tannadice.
Dundee United are the opponents, with Philippe Clement facing the club for the first time since taking charge of the Ibrox side last October.
Ridvan Yilmaz, Rabbi Matondo and Danilo are the absentees for the clash in Dundee, while the Belgian could give a couple of his summer signings their debuts, allowing him to mix things up a bit.
One player who should be given the nod is Vaclav Cerny, who shone for the Czech Republic during the international break.
Vaclav Cerny must start against Dundee United
The winger has already scored once for the Light Blues, while chipping in with two assists, proving that he can thrive in Scottish football with ease.
Clement needed someone of his quality out wide to bolster his team and the player has done well so far.
Against Ukraine in the Nations League, Cerny not only grabbed an assist, but he also created one big chance, made a key pass and succeeded with two dribble attempts (100% success rate) in what was a vital win.
This will surely have boosted his confidence even further as he returns to domestic duty with the Ibrox giants.
Vaclav Cerny’s stats vs Ukraine | |
|---|---|
Goals | 0 |
Assists | 1 |
Key passes | 2 |
Big chances created | 1 |
Dribble attempts (successful) | 2 (2) |
Total duels (won) | 5 (3) |
Clement must unleash the Czech star from the very start if he wishes to break down the United defence.
Summer signing Nedim Bajrami did not feature against Celtic, but he should be given the chance to showcase his talents this afternoon, especially next to Cerny.
Nedim Bajrami could shine against Dundee United
Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson profiled Bajrami amid the links to the attacking midfielder at the end of August, saying: “A technically gifted, intelligent footballer than can play in multiple positions with plenty of Serie A experience.”
Exactly the type of player Clement requires for the problematic number ten role. Bajrami scored against Italy at Euro 2024 and while he didn’t get on the scoresheet too often for his club last term in Serie A – two goals and two assists – he succeeded with 57% of his dribbles, creating three big chances while averaging 0.8 key passes per game.
These statistics prove that he was effective in the final third in one of the toughest leagues on the continent, demonstrating his attacking prowess at times.
Now, imagine him and Cerny attacking the United backline in full flow. They could certainly give the rest of the players a boost and hopefully allow the club to secure all three points without making the game much of a struggle.
If they do perform well, the pair could become regulars in the first team over the next few months. Clement not only needs points on the board, but some decent performances to go with it.
Three points, a clean sheet and some scintillating football is all the Ibrox faithful are asking for this afternoon, and Bajrami and Cerny could be key to providing that with their terrific talents at the top end of the pitch.
