Biggest Rangers dilemma facing Clement for cup final with ‘holes all over place’

Philippe Clement has lots of thinking to do ahead of the Scottish Cup final with Rangers‘ pile-up of injuries.

The Belgian has failed to beat Celtic since taking over at Ibrox and it won’t get any easier against a team on a high from their Premiership title win and with Gers’ own injury worries. Clement previously stated he hoped Ridvan Yilmaz and Abdallah Sima could continue their comebacks and that Leon Balogun might be available again.

But he’s sweating over a number of players and one position where it’s believed he’s facing his biggest conundrum is on the right wing. Ross McCausland starred against Hearts but Sima could come back into contention and James McFadden reckons it all depends on where Dujon Sterling ends up playing.

He told BBC Sportscene: “It’s a position that’s certainly available and up for grabs. It will be interesting to see just how Philippe Clement lines up against Celtic. Previously, against Celtic it’s not worked what he’s tried to do. Ross McCausland, certainly coming off that right hand side you know he’s bringing energy and he’ll drive with the ball. It all depends where Dujon Sterling plays. If that’s defence then McCausland has a better chance of playing. Sima was back in the bench so it may well be Sima but McCausland has done himself no hard.

“The problem Rangers have is that if you were to pick your eleven there is no real team that stands out where you say ‘this team has to start’. There are a lot of positions and players with chances to go and grab positions.”

Michael Stewart agreed and added: “There’s a lot (of conundrums). Even a few months ago there were changes from game to game with Philippe Clement but they had a rhythm in terms of the results they were picking up. Yes, you can tinker about the edges but the momentum was there. But the injuries have got worse, the momentum has completely gone and there’s holes all over the place. It’s not an easy week for Philippe Clement trying to figure out how to put the team together to best stop Celtic.

“Realistically, they’ve never been able to lay a mark on Callum McGregor and stop him. And for Celtic he’s the source of a lot of their play so first and foremost they have to stop him to stop the spread of the game from him.”