Glasgow Rangers will be looking to make it three Scottish Premiership wins in a row as they return to Ibrox on Saturday afternoon.
Dundee are the visitors, and they will have the recent 5-0 drubbing from last month fresh in their minds and Philippe Clement will be hoping for another five-star showing.
The 1-0 win against Hearts in midweek could easily have been by a more comfortable margin, yet the Gers were extremely wasteful in front of goal.
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Danilo missed two big chances, while several others missed opportunities to extend the narrow one-goal advantage and Clement could count himself lucky the Jambos did not score a late equaliser and steal a share of the spoils.
With games coming thick and fast as the festive season steadily approaches, the Belgian may be keen on making a few changes to his starting XI for the visit of Dundee to Glasgow.
We at Football FanCast predict that the manager will make three changes to the team that took to the field at Tynecastle in midweek, as there could be a surprise option unleashed up front.
1 GK – Jack Butland
The goalkeeper is the only player to have played every single minute of the current campaign, and he has arguably been the signing of the summer.
Michael Beale secured his services on a free transfer and the Englishman has been impressive throughout.
Across 27 matches during 2023/24, Butland has kept 13 clean sheets while conceding 22 goals, with just seven of those coming in the Premiership.
2 RB – James Tavernier
Against Hearts, Tavernier grabbed yet another assist, taking his tally to four for the season as he played in a lovely ball for Abdallah Sima to score the only goal of the game.
The captain will need to inspire those around him to raise their games over the next few weeks, especially with a League Cup final and Old Firm clash coming up before the end of December.
If Tavernier can lead the Gers to victory against Aberdeen at Hampden next week while winning at Celtic Park for the first time since 2020, the Light Blues will head into 2024 full of confidence.
3 CB – Connor Goldson
The centre-back has missed just two matches this season and his most recent absence was due to suspension, meaning he got a well-deserved rest as the Gers took on Aris Limassol in the Europa League.
Across his 15 league matches so far this season, Goldson has helped his side concede just seven goals and kept ten clean sheets in the process.
4 CB – John Souttar
Leon Balogun has been impressive since rejoining the club during the summer, yet with important matches to come before Christmas, Clement will rest him against Dundee and preserve his legs.
This means Souttar could come back into the starting XI, and he would make his first league start since a 4-0 win over Hibs in what was Clement’s first match in charge.
It makes sense to rotate in defence and Souttar should be ready to go against Dundee.
5 LB – Ridvan Yilmaz
Borna Barisic missed the trip to Edinburgh in midweek and Yilmaz was the one to replace him at left back.
The Turkish defender was solid, winning seven of his nine total duels along with making three key passes and even missing a big chance, as he had the chance to score the second goal on the evening.
The tie against the Dens Park outfit is a chance for the former Bestikas star to cement his place in the starting XI.
6 CM – John Lundstram
Lundstram has been ever-present in the heart of the midfield since Clement arrived at Ibrox in October and expect him to start once again.
With so many midfielders getting injured this term, the former Sheffield United man has remained fit and this could be what secures him an extended contract.
7 CM – Jose Cifuentes
The £1.2m signing from Los Angeles FC came off the bench and replaced Tom Lawrence in midweek and while it took him a while to get going, the 24-year-old impressed.
Hailed as “very dynamic” by LAFC assistant manager Marc Dos Santos, Cifuentes had more pressures, counter pressures and tackles and interceptions than anyone else on the field against the Jambos and this means Clement will likely unleash him from the start on Saturday.
8 RW – Ross McCausland
The 20-year-old was given yet another start for the club in midweek, and he continues to look like a real menace on the right wing.
Not only did he take one shot on target, but the youngster also made two key passes and succeeded with 50% of his dribble attempts against the Gorgie outfit.
He will be unleashed against Dundee and the Northern Irishman will be looking to score his second goal for the club.
9 AM – Todd Cantwell
It looked as though Cantwell was going to find himself out of the team after being hooked after just 36 minutes against Aris, yet he knuckled down and has impressed while playing in a number ten role during the last two matches.
The Englishman made five key passes combined against St Mirren and Hearts, along with grabbing two assists, and he will be keen to go again this weekend.
10 RW – Abdallah Sima
The 22-year-old has been in splendid form since joining from Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion on a season-long loan deal in the summer.
The winger has scored 12 goals in 26 matches for the Ibrox side, and he netted the only goal against Hearts on Wednesday evening, showcasing his talents.
