Rangers manager Steven Gerrard faces a major selection dilemma ahead of Saturday’s clash with Celtic after a commanding display from Filip Helander against St Mirren.
The Sweden international came back into the side in Paisley on Wednesday afternoon and barely put a foot wrong across the 90 minutes as the Gers triumphed 2-0.
With Buddies striker Jon Obika tasked with stopping Connor Goldson’s distribution from the back, Helander was given plenty of responsibility in possession and he rose to the challenge while defending stoutly throughout.
The 27-year-old has had a stop-start campaign so far, with injury robbing him of a full pre-season and a positive Covid-19 test in November halting his progress.
However, a shaky showing away at Benfica aside, his defending has been at a consistently high level since ever since he joined the club in the summer of 2019.
His strong showing in Paisley now leaves Gerrard with a difficult decision to make, given that Leon Balogun is also in excellent form.
With 17, Balogun has made one more appearance than Helander this season and the Nigeria international is blessed with more pace than his teammate.
He’s been Gerrard’s go-to man in Europe, while he started four consecutive Premiership matches across November and early December.
Connor Goldson’s performances don’t appear to be significantly impacted by who he plays alongside and with the Gers only conceding five goals from 21 Premiership matches this season, it’s clear that both combinations have excelled.
It’s a tough call for Gerrard to make but someone has to miss out and in this instance, Helander’s previous Old Firm experience is likely to give him an edge.
He faced the Hoops in last season’s League Cup final at Hampden Park and helped his side keep a clean sheet in the win at Parkhead in October.
Rangers have also received a boost at the top end of the pitch ahead of the Old Firm, with fans buzzing at a key player’s return to form.
