Rangers return to Scottish Cup duty this afternoon with Ayr United the visitors and a place in the quarter-finals at stake.
Gers boss Philippe Clement will be hoping for a packed Ibrox with a warm welcome on the cards for Scott Brown, Steven Whittaker and Aidan McGeady in the opposition dugout.
With a key league game in mid-week, this is who Clement has gone with as he rotates his squad and as he looks for his Rangers side to continue their current dominant form against Ayr United.
Rangers v Ayr United – Team news confirmed
Even against Aberdeen, Jack Butland wasn’t exactly busy and he won’t get much out of this encounter either.
The gaffer light bit have a specific cup keeper but it was a surprise Robby McCrorie didn’t get some time between the sticks.
In defence, he has the luxury of being able to rotate without really weakening his team.
Ben Davies is fit again but there is still a familiarity with the back four in that there is plenty of experience between them.
It’s a similar story in midfield too.
Players like Nicolas Raskin and Mohamed Diomande are hardly players that we should be worried about seeing and both will be liking to make a positive impact.
In the past, we have rotated and looked like a weaker team but, on this occasion, the forward line looks good as well and one that should cause Ayr United problems and give Rangers fans something to cheer about.
Progressing to the next round is always the most important aspect of cup ties, however, as we saw under Michael Beale, winning badly against lower league opposition isn’t a great look.
Philippe Clement demands the same standards in every game and he won’t allow any dip against a team that Rangers are expected to beat.
There’s been a few changes but this is still a very strong team:
It would be nice if it could send Brown and Co. away hoping that they don’t have to come back any time soon.
