Kris Boyd admits he fears for Rangers if Michael Beale does not recall Connor Goldson from his injury in the Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic.
Goldson has missed Rangers’ past three matches after developing a hip injury ahead of their last meeting with Celtic.
The issue sidelined the 30-year-old as the Gers lost 3-2 at Parkhead, beat St Mirren 5-2 and lost 2-0 at Aberdeen.
But Beale confirmed on Friday that Goldson had trained with Rangers ahead of the Celtic tie at Hampden Park.
Goldson’s return could give Rangers a huge boost for the semi-final showdown after shipping seven goals since he last featured.
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Goldson makes Rangers’ defence far more resilient
Rangers had only allowed seven goals through their last 11 fixtures across all competitions in which Goldson had played. The Gers further only lost once in that run.
The Ibrox club also conceded two goals against Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup during that run. But Beale had left Goldson on the bench for their Round of 16 tie.
Rangers’ only defeat during Goldson’s last 11 outings before the injury came against Celtic in the League Cup final.
But Goldson was Beale’s most competent defender at times at Hampden Park that day. The defender responded well to losing Kyogo Furuhashi for the opening goal.
Boyd worries for Beale if Goldson’s injury persists
Given how Rangers have coped without Goldson in recent weeks, Boyd fears for his former team on Sunday if Beale cannot recall the defender following his injury.
“If Connor Goldson doesn’t play then I fear for Rangers,” Boyd wrote in his column for The Scottish Sun.
“He has missed the last three games through injury when the Gers backline has shipped seven goals.
“If they don’t tighten up defensively then Celtic are capable of running riot.”
Beale will be determined to recall Goldson from his injury if the Rangers star has recovered sufficiently enough to face Celtic in the Scottish Cup.
Ben Davies’ struggles in Goldson’s absence have only heightened Rangers’ need for his swift return. The former Liverpool defender has endured some error-strewn displays.
Goldson returning from his injury would not guarantee Rangers a result at Hampden Park. But his presence would surely give the Gers greater confidence.