Rangers v Alloa Athletic – Premier Sports Cup Preview

Rangers take on Alloa Athletic at Ibrox this evening (17:45 kick-off) in the Viaplay Cup, with Russell Martin expected to make a number of changes as he looks to balance rotation with progression to the next round.

League Cup ties at this stage are often used to hand minutes to squad players, and Martin has already hinted at opportunities for some of the younger names. In his pre-match press conference he confirmed that Hamza Igamane, Thelo Aasgaard, and Mikey Moore are all available for selection. While Cyriel Dessers’ injury is not as serious as first feared, tonight will come too soon for him.

Rangers have signed Mikey Moore on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. Credit: Rangers Football Club

We could see exciting youngster Mikey Moore and new signing Aasgaard come into the starting XI, with Gassama and Cameron likely to make way. Up front, Danilo looks set to lead the line, with Igamane expected to feature from the bench and gain valuable minutes.

At left-back, there’s been further movement. With Jefte heavily linked with a move to Palmeiras and Robbie Fraser sealing a permanent switch to Dunfermline yesterday, Rangers are suddenly short of natural options in this area. That means Max Aarons is once again expected to cover on the left, while skipper James Tavernier continues on the right.

Between the posts, this could also be an opportunity for Robbie Kelly to get some game time in front of the Ibrox crowd.

Predicted XI

Goalkeeper
Liam Kelly

Defence
James Tavernier
John Souttar
Nasser Djiga
Max Aarons

Midfield
Nico Raskin
Joe Rothwell
Thelo Aasgaard

Forward
Mikey Moore
Oliver Antman
Danilo

Rangers will go into this one as strong favourites, but Alloa will see this as a free hit and will no doubt relish the chance to test themselves at Ibrox. With fringe players and youngsters eager to make an impression, fans can expect a high-energy performance under the lights as Rangers look to safely book their spot in the next round.

Ibrox Insider predicted team to face Allow Athletic. Credit: Fotmob Lineup Builder

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