Rangers go into this latest international period of the season with a bittersweet taste in their mouths despite the club going through their most successful post-winter break form since 55.
Philippe Clement’s treble-chasing Bears came roaring back in the second half of the season, claiming top spot in the Scottish Premiership with Celtic lagging two behind.
But after tasting disappointment in the Europa League – bursting bubbles of crowning a quadruple in Dublin come May – it’s been something of a sour week.
The entire thing is obviously made tangier by the taste left behind from John Nelms’ two-bit Dundee pitch operation ensuring there would be no immediate bounce back from European disappointment.
It’s something which particularly annoyed a determined Philippe Clement.
And all this after we’d fallen to only the Belgian’s second league defeat at home to Motherwell a fortnight ago, albeit with a spirited Cup win over Hibs in between.
It’s left us all in something of a haze – as well as Celtic top of the table even if momentarily – and we’re not sure what to make of if it all as the dust settles on the international fortnight.
But we urge you to take a rest from calculating the domestic permutations and take a look at the five Rangers first-teamers who’ll be donning the colour of their countries over the next two weeks.
The five Rangers internationals
John Souttar (Scotland)
Given recent fitness problems, Philippe Clement paid John Souttar a huge compliment when he named him amongst Rangers’ most available options. It’s reflected in the fact the defender is enjoying his greatest run of games at Ibrox and it’s not without good reason either. Having never let Scotland down, John Souttar isn’t just part of the squad to make up the numbers and we expect the Rangers defender to play. Let’s just hope he comes back in one piece!
- Scotland have qualified for Euro 2024 in Germany and face friendlies with the Netherlands (A) and Northern Ireland (H).
- John Souttar has been capped seven times by Scotland, with his last call-up coming for the friendly v France back in October.
- Having made 33 appearances for Rangers this season, John Souttar is the club’s only Scotland representative in the squad.
Mohamed Diomande (Ghana/Ivory Coast U23s)
Mohamed Diomande has impressed Rangers fans since moving to the club from Denmark in January and he could be on the verge of his maiden international cap. Diomande is now going to become a full-time international within months of joining the Gers. It’s a big indictment of the possibilities at the club but now young Mohamed faces a big dilemma. Ivory Coast, which is calling Dio up to their youth team, are the country of the midfielder’s birth whilst Ghana is where the 23-year-old got his chance to play football.
- Called up to both the Ghana men’s team and the Ivory Coast U23s with the decision now in the hands of Diomande.
- Has been capped by the Ivory Coast youth team before has never played a top team game at national level.
- Regarded as one of the region’s brightest talents, Diomande joined Rangers on a £4.5m loan-to-buy in January.
Rabbi Matondo (Wales)
Wales winger Rabbi Matondo would’ve been delighted to earn a recall to the country’s national side after yet another season at Rangers interrupted by injury. Now back in the first-team, it’s been a stop start season for Matondo, whose lightning pace and eye for goal make him a real attacking threat when he’s on his game. And that’s just it. At 23-years-old Rabbi Matondo has to shake the tag of inconsistent talent and perhaps some Welsh game time will help him find his form.
- Rabbi Matondo has 11 caps for the Welsh national team with the last one coming against the Netherlands in August 2022.
- The ex-Manchester City youth once cost Schalke 04 £11m back in 2019 and goes into the squad for the Euro 2024 playoff against Finland.
- Welsh teammate Tom Lawrence has also been left out of this important squad amid rumours of a rift with Rob Page.
Ross McCausland (Northern Ireland)
Northern Ireland international Ross McCausland has been Rangers’ breakthrough squad star of this season and will continue his sterling progress in friendlies against Romania (A) and Scotland (A). Having been knocked off course in the defeat to Motherwell, we don’t know how much Michael O’Neill will use the kid but we expect some minutes from the bench.
- Ross McCausland, 20, made his Northern Ireland debut in defeat to Finland back in November.
- Came through at Belfast club Linfield before transferring to the Rangers Academy back in 2019.
- Has made an impressive 30 appearances since been handed a chance by Ulster legend Steven Davis earlier in the season, scoring two goals and laying on a further three
Cyriel Dessers (Nigeria)
The Nigerian nightmare is back in the Super Eagles squad for around 18 months, having last been called up in September 2022. It’s been an up and down first season at Rangers for Cyriel Dessers – as we all well know – but this recall to a competitive Nigeria attack is not without merit. When the big man switches it on there’s not a lot defenders can do only sometimes he’ll come unstuck in the most inconvenient of moments. Maybe an international goal can prove his pedigree.
- Cyriel Dessers has four caps for Nigeria, with his only goal coming in a 2-1 defeat to Mexico back in May 2022.
- Nigeria are set to face Ghana and Mali in friendlies on 22nd and 26th March.
- Dessers has scored 16 goals for Rangers this season but criticism persists over a lack of reliability in the big moments.
