Rangers predicted XI v Saint-Etienne as new signings set for first Ibrox outing ahead of penultimate pre-season friendly
Rangers are preparing to welcome Ligue 2 outfit Saint-Etienne to Ibrox for their penultimate pre-season friendly, and for the first time this summer, supporters will get a proper look at just how many of the club’s new arrivals might slot into Derek McInnes’ first competitive XI of the campaign. More than a month on from his appointment, the Rangers manager has had ample time to assess his squad in training, and Wednesday night’s fixture represents arguably the most significant staging post yet before the serious business begins against Dundee United at Tannadice on July 31. With the domestic curtain-raiser now less than two weeks away, and a further home friendly against West Ham still to come before that, McInnes finds himself with a genuinely useful selection headache.
The bulk of his summer recruitment — Lawrence Shankland, Ross McCrorie, Ben Godfrey, Ivor Pandur, Dan Neil and Cammy Devlin — has now returned to full training after a spell at warm-weather training camp in Spain, a camp that notably excluded those Rangers players who were on World Cup duty over the summer. That means Wednesday’s clash with the French side should offer the clearest picture yet of how the new-look Ibrox squad might actually fit together once competitive football resumes. There is something to be said for the psychological importance of a new signing’s first appearance in front of their own supporters. Pre-season friendlies rarely carry serious tactical weight in the broader context of a campaign, but they matter enormously in terms of settling nerves, building match sharpness, and allowing a fanbase to start forming its own opinions on the calibre of recruitment that has gone on over the summer. For Rangers, who have been busy in the transfer market under their new manager, Wednesday’s visit of Saint-Etienne represents exactly that kind of occasion.
Every one of the six new faces mentioned above is now available for selection, having shaken off the effects of the Spanish training camp and reintegrated with the group. Whether McInnes chooses to hand starts to all of them or ease certain individuals in via substitute appearances remains to be seen, but the expectation is that supporters will get to see the majority of the squad rotate through the 90 minutes in some capacity. That is standard pre-season management: balancing the need to build partnerships and match fitness against the risk of overloading players who, in some cases, are still working their way up to full sharpness after a shortened close-season programme.
In goal, the expectation is that Liam Kelly will continue in his role as the club’s number one for this particular fixture, primarily because of the timing of Ivor Pandur’s arrival at the club. The Croatia international goalkeeper joined relatively late in proceedings compared to some of Rangers’ other summer business, and as a result, he may not yet be considered fully ready to slot straight into a starting berth, even in a pre-season context. That said, there is a strong expectation that Pandur will get some minutes under his belt at some stage during the match, even if not from the opening whistle. Given the competitive nature of goalkeeping recruitment at this level, supporters will be keen to see how the Croatian shapes up once he does get his chance, particularly with question marks now surrounding the long-term pecking order between the two stoppers heading into the new season.
Defensively, Rangers look to have undergone something of a facelift this summer, and Wednesday’s friendly should offer an early glimpse of how the back four might eventually function together. Ross McCrorie, the first permanent addition of the McInnes managerial era, is expected to slot in at right-back — a role that carries with it an unusually heavy symbolic weight given he effectively steps into the shoes vacated by long-serving former captain James Tavernier. That is no small task for any full-back arriving at Ibrox, and how quickly McCrorie can stamp his own authority on that position will be one of the more closely-watched subplots of the season ahead.
Alongside him in the heart of the defence, Atalanta loanee Ben Godfrey is anticipated to start, with the clear rationale behind his arrival being an injection of pace into a backline that may have lacked that particular attribute in recent seasons. Provided he stays fit — always the operative caveat with any loan arrival carrying an injury history — Godfrey looks set to be a regular fixture in McInnes’ side this season, and his early involvement in pre-season fixtures like this one will be important in building match sharpness and defensive understanding alongside his centre-back partner. That partner is likely to be Emmanuel Fernandez, who returns to full fitness after having dealt with a knee complaint. Fernandez’s importance to this Rangers side cannot be overstated given he was voted the club’s Player of the Year last season, and with a significant campaign now ahead of him, his return to full physical condition will be viewed as one of the more reassuring pieces of pre-season news for the Ibrox faithful. Completing the back four, Tuur Rommens is expected to continue at left-back, primarily due to a lack of alternative options in that particular area of the pitch. The Belgian remains, by a distance, the most viable candidate to fill that role given the current squad make-up, and his consistency there throughout pre-season suggests he will likely be first-choice when the competitive fixtures begin in earnest.
If there is one area of the pitch where McInnes now finds himself spoiled for choice, it is central midfield. The addition of Dan Neil brings with it Championship pedigree and Premier League experience by proxy of his time with Sunderland, and the expectation is that he will start alongside Tochi Chukwuani in the middle of the park for Wednesday’s fixture. Chukwuani himself now faces a notably different landscape compared to last season, given the sheer number of physically robust, athletic options McInnes has assembled in central areas over the summer. Nevertheless, the early indications from training appear to favour the Dane getting the nod for this particular match, even as competition for his starting berth intensifies by the week.
Neil’s inclusion alongside him would be a significant early marker of intent from McInnes, given the returning World Cup contingent — Cammy Devlin chief among them — are expected to be eased back into first-team contention rather than thrown straight into a starting role. Devlin, like Pandur in goal, seems destined for some involvement off the bench rather than from the outset, a sensible approach given the physical and mental toll of representing his country on the biggest stage over the summer. For Neil specifically, there is an obvious narrative attached to his early involvement: having spent time playing in front of passionate, vocal crowds during his time with Sunderland, the expectation among Rangers observers is that the step up to Ibrox’s atmosphere, while significant, is not one that should overly intimidate a player already well accustomed to weight of expectation from supporters.
Out wide, this predicted line-up throws up an interesting subplot in the shape of two players who found themselves fringe figures during the previous campaign but who now, under a new manager, effectively get the chance to press reset on their Ibrox careers. Mohamed Diomande, whose combination of physicality and technical quality has long looked tailor-made for exactly the kind of direct, high-intensity football that McInnes tends to favour, is tipped to start on the right side of midfield. The Ivorian was arguably shorter on regular game time last season than his undoubted talent probably warranted, and with a new manager now assessing the squad with fresh eyes, Wednesday’s fixture offers him a genuine platform to remind everyone of his quality and stake an early claim for regular involvement once the season gets under way.
On the opposite flank, Nedim Bajrami finds himself in a broadly similar position. Like Diomande, minutes were hard to come by for the winger last term, but there is a clear sense among those following the club closely that he retains the underlying quality to make a real impact if given a consistent run of games. A clean slate under a new manager is often exactly what a player in Bajrami’s situation needs, and his inclusion in this starting XI suggests McInnes is at least willing to give him the opportunity to prove his case in these early pre-season fixtures.
Up front, Lawrence Shankland’s arrival at Ibrox represents one of the more eye-catching pieces of Rangers’ summer business, and there is a genuine possibility the Scotland international could be handed the captain’s armband for Wednesday’s fixture — a mark of the standing McInnes already appears to hold him in, despite his arrival at the club being a relatively recent development. The more intriguing question, however, surrounds who exactly will partner Shankland up top. Last season, at Hearts, his most productive partnership in front of goal came alongside Claudio Braga, and replicating that kind of understanding at Ibrox will be an important box for McInnes to tick as pre-season progresses. For Wednesday’s fixture specifically, the nod appears likely to go to Ryan Naderi, whose physical profile as a German forward would give Rangers a useful outlet and obvious out-ball option, particularly valuable in games where sustained pressure needs releasing through direct, physical forward play.
That is not to say Rangers’ other attacking options will be left out of the reckoning entirely. Both Youssef Chermiti and Bojan Miovski are expected to feature at some stage during proceedings, even if not necessarily involved from kick-off. Given the strength in depth McInnes now appears to have assembled in forward areas, competition for the two starting striker berths looks set to be one of the more compelling subplots of pre-season, with genuine claims being staked by multiple candidates before a firm pecking order establishes itself heading into the Dundee United fixture.
Stepping back from the specifics of Wednesday’s likely starting XI, what this fixture really represents is an important data point in the broader story of Derek McInnes’ first transfer window in charge at Ibrox. Six new faces already integrated into first-team training and in contention for involvement against Saint-Etienne is no small achievement for a manager just over a month into the job, and it speaks to a recruitment operation that has moved with real purpose and clarity of vision since his appointment. The blend on show — established Scottish international quality in the shape of Shankland, Championship know-how through Neil, added athleticism and pace via Godfrey, and a returning captain-in-waiting at right-back in McCrorie — suggests a squad being built with a clear identity in mind.
Add to that the emerging second chances being afforded to previously overlooked talents like Diomande and Bajrami, and there is a sense that McInnes is not simply layering new signings on top of the existing group, but genuinely reassessing the entire squad from first principles. Of course, pre-season form and team selection should always be viewed with a degree of caution. Friendlies against sides like Saint-Etienne are as much about conditioning, fitness testing, and building understanding between new partnerships as they are about the eventual competitive line-up. But with Dundee United now just over a week away, and the season opener looming large, Wednesday night’s clash offers Rangers supporters their clearest window yet into how their side might actually look once real points are on the line.
Attention will also inevitably turn to the club’s ongoing recruitment work off the pitch, with reports already circulating that Rangers have moved to strengthen their academy structure by bringing in a Premier League talent spotter to bolster their scouting operations at youth level — a further sign that the rebuild under McInnes extends well beyond the first-team picture and into the club’s longer-term footballing infrastructure. For now, though, all eyes turn to Ibrox on Wednesday evening, where the newest additions to the Rangers squad will get their first taste of a home crowd, and supporters will get their first proper look at the team McInnes hopes can deliver a successful campaign ahead.
