Glasgow Rangers were given an unexpected respite from domestic proceedings in midweek as their Premiership clash against Ross County was postponed due to severe weather in the north of Scotland preventing any away supporters from attending.
While the match would have given Philippe Clement an opportunity to see his side claim another three points, the break will perhaps work in his favour ahead of a clash against Celtic tomorrow.
The second Old Firm tie of the season takes place at Celtic Park and, given their recent form, Rangers are the side who should be the more confident of the two teams heading into the match.
Having defeated Motherwell on Christmas Eve, injuries mean Clement doesn’t have much room for rotation and we at Football FanCast predict that the Belgian will make just one change ahead of the eagerly anticipated second Old Firm game of the season.
1 GK – Jack Butland
The goalkeeper has been one of the best transfers of the season and will be making his second appearance against Celtic tomorrow.
Butland has kept a clean sheet in 50% of his matches during his spell in Scotland so far and his commanding presence between the posts has meant that the Light Blues currently have the best defensive record in the Premiership, conceding just eight goals in 18 matches.
2 RB – James Tavernier
The captain is a veteran of this fixture – playing against Celtic 33 times since 2016 – yet the defender has only been on the winning side on nine occasions, and he will be hoping this tally is nudged into double figures tomorrow.
Having scored 15 goals and registered six assists so far this season, Tavernier will be one of the key attacking outlets for the club and Clement will be telling him to push forward as much as possible.
3 CB – Connor Goldson
Connor Goldson will retain his place at the heart of the defence against Celtic, and he has been excellent in the league this term.
Goldson has enjoyed some wonderful moments against the Hoops in the past, most notably scoring twice against them in October 2020 and a goal tomorrow would be a big bonus.
4 CB – Leon Balogun
The Nigerian defender was supposed to act as cover after he rejoined the Gers during the summer transfer window, yet he has gone on to play a key part under Clement recently.
Since the Belgian took over in October, Balogun has played nine times and was in the starting XI that saw the Ibrox side secure their first League Cup trophy since 2011 earlier this month.
5 LB – Borna Barisic
The only change from Clement will be to replace Ridvan Yilmaz with Barisic. The Croatian – who joined the Gers for £2m back in 2018 – missed the tie against Motherwell, but he should be back ready to play Celtic.
Hailed as “fantastic” by journalist Josh Bunting during the title-winning 2020/21 campaign, Barisic will be aiming to secure just his eighth win against the Parkhead outfit across 17 matches.
6 CM – Dujon Sterling
Due to injuries to midfielders Ryan Jack, Nico Raskin, Jose Cifuentes and John Lundstram, Clement has been short of players in the heart of the midfield.
Sterling played at left back during the first Old Firm clash back in September and, despite it being an uncomfortable position, he performed admirably.
The former Chelsea gem has been thrust into the centre of midfield recently and looks like a natural in the role, and he will be deployed in this position tomorrow.
7 CM – Kieran Dowell
Again, due to injuries, Clement has had to reshuffle his pack and this meant Sterling started alongside Dowell against Motherwell a few days ago.
The former Norwich City player didn’t take long to make his mark by scoring after just a few minutes while also succeeding with 100% of his dribble attempts and chipping in defensively by making three interceptions, two tackles and winning four of his seven total duels.
He will start alongside Sterling as the Gers visit the east end of Glasgow and another performance similar to the one against the Steelmen could be crucial.
8 RW – Ross McCausland
Not many supporters expected McCausland to make as big an impact as he has done when the first Old Firm clash of the season took place in September, but fast-forward four months, and he is one of the key members of Clement’s squad.
He has played 16 times so far during 2022/23, scoring once while winning his first senior medal in the recent League Cup final against the Dons.
9 AM – Todd Cantwell
The Englishman scored against Celtic during the final derby match of the 2022/23 season, and it capped off a wonderful first few months in Glasgow.
This season hasn’t quite been as eye-catching, especially in terms of goals and assists, managing just six goal contributions in total.
Against Celtic, however, Clement will deploy him just behind the striker in his preferred number ten role, and he could cause chaos against the opposition defence if he is in the mood.
10 LW – Abdallah Sima
The on-loan winger has been one of the biggest revelations of the season so far and has been a vital cog in the team over the previous few months.
Across 31 matches during 2023/24, Sima has scored 14 times along with grabbing two assists, and his pace and direct approach will be vital against Brendan Rodgers' if the Gers hope to secure three points.
