McCausland benched in 6 changes in predicted Rangers lineup vs Dumbarton.
Glasgow Rangers will resume home games tomorrow night after finishing their winter break with a 2-2 draw against FC Copenhagen at Ibrox.
The Scottish Cup matchup with Dumbarton is a perfect opportunity for Philippe Clement to rotate his starting lineup, which may result in a few bench players getting their first start and earning crucial minutes.
The Light Blues may have a busy schedule between now and May, particularly if they advance far in both the Europa League and the Cup. As a result, the Belgian coach will need to rotate his team wisely.
The Gers won their last competitive match before the winter break – a 3-1 Premiership victory over Kilmarnock – and could start off the second half of the 2023/24 season with a resounding win against the Sons tomorrow.
With that in mind, the 49-year-old coach could make six changes to the side that defeated Killie at Ibrox just three weeks ago.
While the tie is a perfect opportunity to rest Jack Butland, the goalkeeper has not missed a single match since joining last summer, and it would be no surprise if Clement sticks with him against Dumbarton.
James Tavernier, like Butland, may be given a rest, but he will probably start from the first whistle before maybe being withdrawn when the tie is secured. Tavernier has missed just one game this season, the League Cup victory against Morton in August, but Clement may want his captain to play tomorrow. Over the course of 34 games in the first half of the season, the Englishman conceded 28 goals and kept 16 clean sheets, but his performances arguably won the club a host of points in the league.
The long-serving captain has scored three goals in the Scottish Cup during his spell at the club, and he will be eyeing a goal or two against the League Two outfit.
The Scot will keep his place from the win against Killie as Connor Goldson will get a rest for the cup clash.
Against the Ayrshire side, Souttar made six clearances, one tackle and won eight out of his 12 total duels during the clash, and he will be looking to keep a clean sheet against the Sons.
The youngster came to prominence last season as he made 23 appearances for the senior side due to an injury crisis at the heart of the defence.
He gained crucial experience in the Champions League, playing in all six matches, but he has featured just three times this season under Clement.
King should be unleashed against lower league opposition and the cup tie is a chance for him to gain some much-needed game time.
The Croatian could return to action tomorrow in place of Ridvan Yilmaz, with the Turkish defender’s future looking increasingly uncertain as he has reportedly told the club he wishes to leave.
Barisic has missed the previous four league games, but a clash against Dumbarton could be the perfect chance for him to return.
The LAFC assistant manager Marc Dos Santos has praised the “very dynamic” midfielder, who is also making a comeback from personal injury setbacks. As a result, he may start in the starting lineup for tomorrow night’s match.
After joining from the MLS for a £1.2 million transfer fee, the summer acquisition has made 20 appearances, but he hasn’t yet been able to duplicate the form he showed overseas.
He could feel more confident going forward as he attempts to compete for a spot in the starting lineup after a strong performance against the League Two team.
Jack, another injury returnee (a common occurrence at Ibrox), may be primed to go from the moment the Scottish Cup whistle blows, having played just under half an hour against the Danish team.
His contract expires at the end of the season and the former Aberdeen midfielder will need to return to full fitness and prove to Clement that he deserves another year at Ibrox.
Another injury, however, could wreck his chances and lead to his departure after seven years in Glasgow come the end of the campaign.
The Scottish winger certainly enjoys the Scottish Cup. The former Aberdeen gem scored in the final against Hearts in 2022, and he could be given a run-out on Saturday.
Ross McCausland will now sit on the bench, which might be to his great advantage. He has only missed two games for the Ibrox team since making his season debut in October.
Wright has only scored once in 15 games so far this season, but it was in a cup match against Hearts, so it could be a good idea to give him more playing time tomorrow.
Given that Tom Lawrence isn’t nearly ready to start and that Sam Lammers has moved on loan to FC Utrecht, it looks like Todd Cantwell will start at number ten against the Sons.
This term, the former Norwich City starlet has scored three goals and grabbed four assists, but he has failed to replicate the form which saw him shine during his opening few months at the club.
He did score in his last competitive outing against Killie and this will give him plenty of confidence heading into the cup tie.
In the upcoming weeks, with Abdallah Sima’s absence, the Welsh winger will have a great chance to secure a spot in the starting lineup. He scored against Copenhagen earlier this week.
Despite his season being interrupted by injury, the winger did have a respectable total of four goal contributions in 16 games in 2023–2024.
Despite the presence of on-loan prodigy Fabio Silva vying for a starting spot, the Nigerian international is probably going to start against Dumbarton.
Though he has only scored nine goals in thirty games, may a goal or two against the Sons ignite his campaign? Time will tell.
Rangers predicted lineup in full vs Dumbarton – GK – Butland; RB – Tavernier, CB – Souttar, CB – King, LB – Barisic; CM – Jack, CM – Cifuentes; RW – Wright, AM – Cantwell, LW – Matondo; ST – Dessers
Leave a Reply