Preview: Kilmarnock vs. Rangers – prediction, team news, lineups
Rangers travel to Kilmarnock on Sunday as they look to keep up their impressive run of form by winning their 11th Scottish Premiership match of the season.
The home side will be hoping to pull off a shock result against the league leaders and bounce back from last weekend's home defeat to Hibernian.
Rangers continued their impressive run of results on Thursday night with a narrow 1-0 victory over Polish side Lech Poznan in the Europa League, maintaining their unbeaten start to the season.
Colombian striker Alfredo Morelos scored his 21st goal for the Gers in European competitions, which draws him level with former forward Ally McCoist.
Despite a magnificent start which has seen Rangers win 15 of their opening 17 matches in all competitions (drawing the other two games), Steven Gerrard remains wary of Celtic's chances of closing in on their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership even if they extend it to nine points this weekend.
While Celtic take on Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday, the Gers are on league duty at Rugby Park where they can build on the six-point gap that they currently have over their Old Firm rivals.
However, the Rangers boss is aware that Neil Lennon's side will have two games in hand and that they are still in the early stages of their league campaign.
After coming away with an impressive 3-1 victory at Livingston two weeks ago, Kilmarnock suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat at home to Hibernian last weekend, which saw Killie lose their third match in their last four outings.
Kilmarnock have had their issues with the coronavirus which saw the entire squad forced to self-isolate last month.
Killie winger Chris Burke opened up recently about how his mental health could suffer if he is forced to endure a third stint in lockdown, but the former Rangers man is glad to be back on the pitch and is hoping that the squad can kick-on from here.
Manager Alex Dyer currently has no selection concerns ahead of their match this Sunday against the league's inform team and a victory would see the side remain in fifth spot, potentially closing the gap on fourth place to six points.
Kilmarnock Scottish Premiership form: WLWWWL
Kilmarnock form (all competitions): WWLLWL
KILLIE NEWS
Goalkeeper Jake Eastwood remains the only long-term absentee from Alex Dyer's squad with the 24-year-old suffering from a thigh injury.
Zeno Rossi will be hoping to keep his place ahead of Ross Millen at right-back after starting the previous two matches.
Chris Burke and Nicke Kabamba, who have scored four goals each this campaign, will likely line up alongside Greg Kiltie in a three-man attack.
GERS NEWS
Defender Nikola Katic remains the only injury concern for Steven Gerrard ahead of this Saturday's match.
Captain James Tavernier, who turns 29 on Saturday, will hope to add to his attacking tally after already notching up nine goals in all competitions from right-back.
Striker Alfredo Morelos is likely to return to the starting lineup after beginning the previous two matches on the bench.
Jermain Defoe, who scored his 300th career goal in last weekend 2-0 win over Livingston, is set to drop to the bench if the Colombian forward does start for the Gers.
Kilmarnock possible starting lineup:
Rogers;
22 Millen / 14 Ibsen Rossi 5 Broadfoot 17 Findlay 18 Waters;
6 Power 8 Dicker [k] 27 Tshibola;
29 Burke 11 Kabamba 10 Kiltie
Rangers possible starting lineup:
1 McGregor;
2 Tavernier [k] 6 Goldson 5 Helander 31 Barisic / 3 Bassey;
37 Arfield 10 Davis 18 Kamara;
17 Aribo 20 Morelos / 25 Roofe 14 Kent
We say:
Kilmarnock 0-2 Rangers
The Rangers squad will have tired legs after three games in a week, but Steven Gerrard has rotated his squad well and taken advantage of their strength in depth. The Gers have enough quality at both ends of the pitch to keep their impressive form going in the Scottish Premiership.
Team News - KILLIE
- Alex Dyer named an unchanged Killie team for the 1-0 defeat to Hibernian at Rugby Park after their 3-1 success at Livingston, which was Killie's first league match since the end of September.
- Clevid Dikamona conceded the penalty from which Kevin Nisbet would convert, and he is expected to be on the treatment table for quite some time, after landing awkwardly from an aerial duel with Nisbet's partner Christian Doidge.
- Scotland international Stuart Findlay replaced the Congolese centre-back with less than 40 minutes on the clock, so should take his spot in the starting lineup here. It's a blow for Dikamona, who was making his second successive Killie start.
Team News - 'GERS
- Steven Gerrard made five changes from the side that cruised past Livingston 2-0 as Rangers made it two wins from two in their Europa League group, getting the better of Lech Poznan 1-0 at Ibrox.
- Leon Balogun was restored to the Gers defence at the expense of Filip Helander. Ryan Jack and Joe Aribo dropped out for Scott Arfield and Glen Kamara to come into midfield. The hero last week, Kemar Roofe took Jermain Defoe's place in the starting XI for their Europa League encounter against their Polish opponents.
- Borna Barisic sat out of the Livingston match, but provided the assist in midweek for Alfredo Morelos, who equalled Ally McCoist's European scoring record for Rangers. The Colombian has now scored 21 goals in 36 European appearances for the Gers.
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