McInnes won’t tinker with a winning formula too much but there are a few positions up for grabs
Derek McInnes and Minsu Kim
There’s some stability at Rangers at last with Derek McInnes putting together his first real string of positive results.
But fans know the performance levels will need to go up a gear for the first leg of a derby double header with Celtic.
So far Delball has been more about grinding out results than blowing teams away and while it’s not exactly sexy, it’s a solid base to build on.
Four straight wins by a single goal have got things back on the rails, and the biggest domestic test yet now awaits.
The Ibrox side’s recent improved form has been built on stable team selections. The same back four have started three of their last four games, with only one variation – Kosta Nedeljkovic’s start against Falkirk – and there’s no reason to think that’s going to change here.
Now Nicolas Raskin is settled in until at least January, it appears he and Dan Neil are the established midfield base, although Cammy Devlin is rated by McInnes and won’t be far behind them in the pecking order.
Cammy Devlin on the ball for Rangers(Image: Stephen Dobson/ProSports/Shutterstock)
Further forward is where there is real potential for tinkering.
Badredine Bouanani’s arrival provides real depth in the wide areas. If he starts again it’s likely to be one of Djeidi Gassama or Findlay Curtis on the other side.
McInnes has tried a few players in the No.10 role but after Minsu Kim was rested from the starting XI against St Mirren during the week, he’d be our bet to start in that role against Celtic.
And then it’s a case of who leads the line in the absence of Lawrence Shankland.
Bojan Miovski did his chances no harm with his winner against St Mirren., while Ryan Naderi has also shown real signs of coming onto a game.
New man Kevin Kelsy started against the Saints – could he come up with some derby heroics early on in his Ibrox career?
Predicted Rangers XI
Our predicted Rangers XI
Predicted Rangers XI: Pandur; Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice; Neil, Raskin; Curtis, Minsu, Bouanani; Kelsy