Philippe Clement could drop Mohamed Diomande from Rangers’ starting lineup as part of six changes for Sunday’s Scottish Cup match against Queen’s Park.
The Ivorian has had a question mark over his head for the bulk of the season, but he has just come into his own, which is why the Belgian should rest him for Bailey Rice.
The last five changes were expected to be John Souttar, Nico Raskin, Vaclav Cerny, Ianis Hagi, and Cyriel Dessers dropping out.
Robin Propper, Connor Barron, Nedim Bajrami, Tom Lawrence, and Ross McCausland might replace them, with the Gers remaining in a 4-2-3-1 shape.
Mohamed Diomande omitted from Rangers’ starting XI at Queen’s Park.
Jack Butland will undoubtedly be between the sticks; while this may be a nice game for Liam Kelly to prove his value again, Butland has appeared rusty in recent weeks and could benefit from more minutes on the pitch.
The defensive line is expected to see the first change on the team, with James Tavernier and Jefte holding their positions at full-back, while Propper replaces Souttar and Clinton Nsiala retains his place.
Diomande and Raskin are set to sit out and rest, with Rice and Barron taking over in the engine room.
The offense is expected to alter the most, with Cerny, Dessers, and Hagi all resting to let them to focus on more crucial games.
Hamza Igamane will lead the attacking line, and while the Morocco international deserves some rest, he hasn’t been in the best of form recently and could use a confidence boost against Queen’s Park.
