Rangers boss Steven Gerrard dropped Scott Arfield from the starting XI for the game against Porto on Thursday evening.
It comes after an underwhelming run of form from the ex-Burnley man.
Despite being mainly deployed in an attacking role as part of the support act for the central striker, the 30-year-old has largely failed to produce in front of goal or to provide for others this season.
In 18 appearances in all competitions, the £2.25m-rated man has scored twice and registered just a solitary assist [Transfermarkt].
Yet, his record against Sunday’s opposition, Motherwell, is markedly better.
Across his last two outings against the ‘Well, he’s scored a whopping five goals. That’s courtesy of a brace at Ibrox in November 2018 and a hat-trick at Fir Park in April.
He’s proved a trump card against Stephen Robinson’s men in the past, but will it be enough to convince Gerrard to reinstate him to the team?
Clearly, his record against the Steelmen is impressive, and although their squad went through upheaval in the summer, to an extent they still play in a similar manner with Robinson continuing at the helm. There’s a chance Arfield would be able to exploit similar weaknesses to those of last season, recapturing his best form while he’s at it.
However, the Canada skipper hasn’t made it into our Predicted XI.
He’s had plenty of opportunities to contribute this season which he hasn’t taken. By contrast, Greg Stewart has grasped the few chances to come his way. The 29-year-old has five direct goal contributions in 404 minutes of action [Transfermarkt], in comparison to Arfield’s three in 1316 minutes [Transfermarkt].
Stats aren’t everything, but those numbers clearly point to Stewart as the better pick.
Of course, there’s a chance that both could play, with Arfield dropping back to a more central midfield role. Especially, since Glen Kamara and Ryan Jack are doubts for the game.
Yet, Joe Aribo is likely to return for this one and surely Leicester City loanee Andy King finally deserves a chance to show what he can do.
Arfield has demonstrated an ability to put Motherwell to the sword in the past, but any involvement on Sunday should come from the bench, rather than the starting lineup.
