2/10 star dropped & Propper starts: Rangers predicted lineup vs Dynamo Kiev

Glasgow Rangers are already on the back foot in the Premiership title race after dropping two crucial points in their first match of the season.

A 0-0 draw against Hearts at Tynecastle will hopefully give Philippe Clement a major wakeup call with regard to strengthening his squad, as several members of the starting XI are clearly nowhere near the required standard at Ibrox.

The Belgian has no time to refocus as Rangers take to the Champions League qualifiers to face Dynamo Kiev in the first leg on Tuesday evening.

Rangers will have to rapidly improve if they are to claim a positive result against the Ukrainians. Qualifying for a spot in the newly revamped competition will see a major financial reward injected into the club.

No pressure then, but Clement will clearly be making a few changes to his team as a big test awaits in Poland during the first leg.

Here’s the predicted starting XI Football FanCast are expecting to take to the field on Tuesday evening…

1

GK – Jack Butland

Butland was impressive against Hearts, making some impressive stops to prevent the Jambos from scoring and claiming all three points.

It looks like he is starting this term like he did last, in the form of his life. Long may it continue. Clement now needs the rest of the starting XI to step up and bring the same level of performance as Butland.

With the tie likely to be fairly tight, the ‘keeper could make all the difference whether Rangers can secure a positive result or not.

2

RB – James Tavernier

The captain didn’t exactly have the best of games last weekend. Not only did he fail to score or grab an assist, but Tavernier managed to lose possession a staggering 26 times during the game, showing how poor he was in possession.

Dujon Sterling missed the Hearts tie due to injury but should be back for the clash against Kiev. He will likely start on the bench, but if Tavernier delivers another poor display, he could be called upon sooner rather than later.

The pressure is on the captain to deliver when it matters. Can he handle it?

3

CB – John Souttar

Like Tavernier, the Scot wasn’t at his best against his former club, being suspectable to long balls over the top, which Lawrence Shankland exploited during the game.

His distribution was excellent, however, finishing the game with a 92% pass success rate while losing possession just five times throughout the game.

Improvement is needed against the Ukrainian side, but if Souttar can perform at his best, then he is a solid centre-back.

4

CB – Robin Propper

While it looked like Propper was going to be ready to start against Hearts, having signed last week, he didn’t even make the squad.

Ben Davies endured a horror show against the Edinburgh side, receiving a match rating of just 2/10 from Glasgow World, proving that he must be dropped from the starting XI.

Last season, Propper won 60% of his total duels for Twente in the Dutch top flight while also recovering 5.2 balls per game, showcasing his superb defensive skills.

5

LB – Ridvan Yilmaz

The Turkish defender is now established as the first-choice left-back under Clement now that Barisic has departed the Gers.

Yilmaz will be looking to offer more going forward than he did against the Jambos, succeeding with just two of his five dribble attempts while delivering zero accurate crosses from nine attempts.

An improvement against Kiev is required if Rangers are to gain a positive result.

6

CM – Connor Barron

The young midfielder showed maturity well beyond his 21 years over the weekend, performing well on his competitive debut for the club.

He was involved throughout, taking 68 touches while finishing the game with an 86% pass success rate, and Barron could be one of the best signings Clement makes this summer.

A Champions League debut against Kiev awaits. Can he shine in Europe’s premier club competition?

7

CM – Mohamed Diomande

The Ivorian will operate alongside Barron at the heart of the midfield like he did against Hearts, yet he must do better on Tuesday evening.

He won only five of his 15 total duels against the Jambos, along with losing possession 17 times. There is no doubting his quality, but these numbers will have to get better as the weeks go on.

8

RW – Vaclav Cerny

Another new signing who looked like he was going to start on Saturday but had to resort to coming off the bench.

Scott Wright struggled yet again for the Light Blues, which means Cerny should be chosen in the starting XI against Kiev on Tuesday evening.

He scored four Bundesliga goals in just 12 starts last season for Wolfsburg, which suggests he offers a threat going forward. Can he start his Light Blues career with a bang?

9

LW – Rabbi Matondo

Oscar Cortes hobbled off after the interval with an injury last Saturday, meaning Matondo will come into the starting XI.

The Welsh winger scored against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifiers last term. He will be looking to repeat the trick this time around.

10

AM – Tom Lawrence

With Todd Cantwell and Ianis Hagi close to leaving Ibrox, plus Sam Lammers departing, the Light Blues have few options for the number ten role.

Lawrence will reprise his role behind the striker against Kiev, but it is clear that Clement must sign another attacking midfielder before the end of the transfer window.

11

ST – Cyriel Dessers

The Nigerian forward hit the woodwork and missed a big chance against Hearts in the league opener. Déjà vu, anyone?

He never fails to give 100%, but the club need a striker who is going for 30 or more goals a season, something which Dessers won’t achieve due to his lack of clinical nature in the penalty area.

With Hamza Igamane not quite ready to start and Danilo’s fitness unclear, Clement will have to persist with Dessers. Can he redeem himself against the Ukrainian side on Tuesday evening?

Predicted Rangers XI to face Dynamo Kiev: GK – Butland; RB – Tavernier, CB – Souttar, CB – Propper, LB – Yilmaz; CM – Barron, CM – Diomande; RW, Cerny, AM – Lawrence, LW – Matondo; ST – Dessers.