The waiting is finally over for the Ibrox faithful. On Wednesday night, Rangers host Ligue 2 side AS Saint-Etienne in a highly anticipated pre-season friendly, marking the first time this summer that supporters can watch Derek McInnes’ side live in person.
Following a busy summer of conditioning work behind closed doors in Scotland and warm-weather training in Spain, this midweek clash under the Ibrox floodlights represents a vital dress rehearsal.
With the competitive Scottish Premiership campaign roaring into life in less than 10 days after Wednesday, McInnes is ready to lay his tactical cards on the table.
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Rangers under Derek McInnes: The story so far
Until now, the Light Blues’ pre-season preparations have been shrouded in privacy. The Gers kicked off their summer schedule on home soil with two quiet, behind-closed-doors victories over domestic opposition in Raith Rovers and Dunfermline.
From there, the squad jetted off to Spain for a demanding warm-weather camp. While the focus in Liberia was firmly on heavy fitness blocks, the team tested themselves in two highly competitive, untelevised fixtures:
While these scoring draws offered McInnes plenty of experimentation time, Wednesday’s clash demands a much sharper edge as they welcome second tier French opposition to Glasgow.
Rangers face Saint-Etienne on Wednesday, 22 July. The friendly will be held at Ibrox, with the kick-off scheduled at 7:45pm.
Team news: Cammy Devlin, Ivor Pandur and one other return
Rangers are set for a timely boost ahead of Wednesday. Apart from the core group that endured the gruelling Spanish training camp, three crucial figures are scheduled to return to first-team training on Monday, 20 July.
New midfield signing Cammy Devlin, highly-anticipated new number one Ivor Pandur, and playmaker Thelo Aasgaard will all step back out onto the training pitches after returning from their short breaks following their FIFA World Cup campaigns.
Given the short runway before the season starts, McInnes will want to get minutes into their legs immediately, making it highly likely all three will feature at some point against the French side.
Gers predicted lineup vs Saint-Etienne
Because there are only nine days separating this fixture and the trip to Dundee United, McInnes is widely expected to ditch the heavy squad rotation seen in Spain.
Instead, he will likely deploy a strong, settled starting XI that will closely mirror his preferred lineup for the opening day of the league season.
- Goalkeeper: Liam Kelly is likely to start between the sticks, with Pandur featuring off the bench, as McInnes would likely want to ease the Croatian into the team
- Defence: Ben Godfrey and Emmanuel Fernandez look set to be the Gers’ first-choice centre-back pairing as things stand, while Tuur Rommens has locked in the left-back spot. The right-back position is a toss-up between Dujon Sterling and Ross McCrorie at this point
- Midfield: Dan Neil has impressed during the pre-season so far and is likely to feature alongside Tochi Chukwuani after his brace against Johor. Findlay Curtis looks set to play an important role this season from the left side, while Djeidi Gassama may be given the nod on the right on this occasion
- Attack: Lawrence Shankland appears to be the first choice to take the armband for Rangers this season and will likely lead the line on Wednesday, with Youssef Chermiti playing just behind
Where to watch Rangers vs Saint-Etienne
For the thousands of supporters heading through the Ibrox turnstiles, it will be a special moment to welcome McInnes to the home dugout for the very first time.
For fans who cannot make it to the stadium, please note that the match is not being telecast on any traditional TV networks.
However, you will not have to miss a minute of the action, as the match will be available via a live stream exclusively on Rangers TV.
