Rangers predicted XI vs Motherwell: Two changes as impact player from the bench against Falkirk rewarded with start

Saturday afternoon brings Rangers back to Ibrox with a genuine chance to make it three Premiership wins on the bounce, but Derek McInnes will know better than most just how quickly that kind of momentum can be punctured by this particular opponent. Motherwell’s last visit to Ibrox ended in a 3-2 victory for the visitors that effectively lit the fuse on Rangers’ late-season collapse in last year’s title race, and while the faces have changed considerably since then, the psychological scar tissue from that afternoon hasn’t fully healed. With Alfred Johansson’s side arriving unbeaten through four league games and sitting third in the table, this is shaping up to be the sternest domestic test Rangers have faced since McInnes took charge.

It would be generous to describe Rangers’ recent results as anything more than functional. Back-to-back away wins over Aberdeen and Falkirk have eased the mounting pressure that followed a genuinely alarming start to the season, one that included a limp draw at Dundee United, defeat in Europa League qualifying, and then, most painfully, elimination from the UEFA Conference League play-off round at the hands of Czech side Jablonec — a result that will linger over this Rangers side for some time regardless of how the next few weeks of domestic form pan out. The 1-0 win at Pittodrie was earned via a Lawrence Shankland penalty rather than any prolonged period of home dominance, while the 2-1 victory at Falkirk was similarly unconvincing for long spells, rescued by a Shankland brace that continued his rapid rise to prominence as the focal point of this rebuilt Rangers attack

None of that will particularly concern McInnes so long as the points keep arriving, but Motherwell represent a different proposition entirely to the two sides Rangers have faced in the league so far. Johansson has continued the possession-heavy identity established under his predecessor Jens Berthel Askou, and the Steelmen’s unbeaten start suggests that approach continues to cause problems for teams across the division. Rangers’ underlying performances will need to improve considerably from what’s been on show in recent weeks if they’re going to avoid becoming the latest side to be undone by a well-organised, patient Motherwell side full of confidence.

There’s no discussion needed in goal. Pandur has settled into life at Ibrox with real assurance since arriving to replace Jack Butland over the summer, and his shot-stopping has repeatedly rescued points that a shakier goalkeeper might have surrendered. He continues between the posts with total

The headline change, and arguably the most deserved one in the entire side. McCrorie’s introduction from the bench against Falkirk produced an immediate and direct impact on the result — some deft footwork to create space, followed by a perfectly weighted assist for what turned out to be the winning goal. That’s exactly the kind of impact substitute appearance that forces a manager’s hand, and with incumbent right-back Kosta Nedeljkovic still shaking off the memory of a bizarre own goal against Aberdeen, McCrorie’s promotion to the starting XI feels less like a gamble and more like an overdue reward for a player who left Ibrox six years ago in search of regular football and has returned in exactly the kind of form that justifies McInnes’ decision to bring him back this

Fernandez’s continued involvement at centre-back says as much about the lack of alternatives as it does about his own form. He’s had a mixed start to the campaign, prone to lapses in concentration and occasionally sloppy in possession in ways that have nearly cost his side on more than one occasion. McInnes would ideally like more competition and cover in this area — a need that went unaddressed in a transfer window that otherwise saw fourteen new arrivals — but for now, Fernandez remains first-choice by default as much as by

His central defensive partner offers a more encouraging outlook. Makhanya has looked composed on the ball since establishing himself in the side, unafraid to step forward into midfield areas when the opportunity arises, and there’s a growing sense that Rangers may have unearthed a genuinely important long-term piece of their defensive rebuild. His willingness to carry the ball forward adds a dimension that’s been missing from recent Rangers backlines, and pairing that quality with Fernandez’s greater experience gives McInnes a reasonably balanced central defensive unit, even if it’s not yet the finished article.

At left-back, Penrice continues to hold off the challenge of a high-profile returning option. Tuur Rommens, sidelined since mid-August, is closing in on full training and could be back in contention as soon as next weekend’s visit of Celtic, but Penrice’s recent performances have given McInnes no reason to make a change purely for the sake of restoring the more experienced option before he’s fully match-fit. Continuity at left-back, particularly with a fixture of this magnitude on the horizon, feels like the sensible call.

The biggest source of off-field noise this week has resolved itself in the most straightforward way possible for Rangers: Nico Raskin’s prolonged and occasionally fraught saga involving interest from Beşiktaş appears to have concluded with the Belgian staying put at Ibrox. That clarity should allow one of Rangers’ most important midfielders over the past two seasons to refocus entirely on his football rather than fielding constant questions about his future. Raskin’s combative energy, range of passing, and generally excellent decision-making in possession make him first name on the team sheet whenever fully available, and having the transfer speculation lifted should, if anything, free him up to produce his best form over the coming

Alongside him, Dan Neil returns to the fold having missed the trip to Falkirk with a minor issue. The summer signing from Sunderland has yet to fully find his rhythm in a Rangers shirt, but there’s enough quality in his passing range and positional discipline to suggest better performances are coming once he settles into the physical demands of Scottish football. His return gives McInnes a further alternative in central midfield alongside the likes of Cammy Devlin and Tochi Chukwuani, both of whom have had their moments in recent weeks without fully nailing down the role for themselves

In behind the front line, Kim Min-su continues to look like one of the genuine success stories of Rangers’ summer rebuild. The South Korean’s £8.5m move from Girona has, on early evidence, been money well spent — his technical quality and comfort in tight areas giving Rangers a different kind of creative outlet to anything else in the squad. It’s a mild surprise he hasn’t already opened his goal account given the calibre of chances he’s created and been involved in during his opening two appearances, but the underlying performances suggest goals will follow soon enough.

On the opposite side of that number ten role sits a right-winger who has rapidly become one of the pleasant surprises of the early season. Findlay Curtis has started both of Rangers’ last two matches and looked sharp in each, carrying over the promise he showed during a productive loan spell at Kilmarnock last season. His directness and willingness to take players on give Rangers a genuine outlet down the right, and McInnes will be encouraged by just how quickly the young winger has adapted to first-team football at a club of Rangers’ size

Gassama remains the most unpredictable name in this Rangers side — a player capable of moments of real quality who has, at various points this season, looked short of confidence and end product. What’s encouraging is the recent upward trajectory in his performances, with his displays against both Aberdeen and Falkirk suggesting a player rediscovering his rhythm at exactly the moment questions were starting to be asked about his long-term role, given the sheer volume of competition for wide areas that’s arrived at Ibrox this summer. If Gassama can finally add end product to match his undoubted ability on the ball, Rangers have a genuinely dangerous attacking weapon in their ranks.

There is precisely zero debate to be had up front. Shankland’s brace against Falkirk took his tally to three goals in two appearances, and his impact since arriving from Hearts this summer has gone a long way toward justifying what was one of the more significant off-field storylines of the entire transfer window — a new club captain expected to lead the line and the dressing room simultaneously. His finishing has provided exactly the kind of composure and clinical edge that was conspicuously absent during Rangers’ difficult opening weeks, and there’s no reason to expect anything other than his continued presence as the focal point of this attack against

One notable absence from this starting XI is either of Rangers’ two deadline-day arrivals, Kevin Kelsy and Badredine Bouanani, both of whom have been training with the first team in the build-up to this fixture and are expected to be involved in some capacity, even if not necessarily from the opening whistle. McInnes has been deliberately cautious in how he’s handling their integration — Kelsy had an extra day of training under his belt heading into the week compared to Bouanani, who only touched down in Glasgow the night before his first session, and the manager has spoken about needing further conversations with both players to gauge exactly how much they can realistically contribute this early into their Rangers careers.

That measured approach reflects a manager who, for all the pressure generated by a difficult start to the season, appears determined not to rush his highest-profile new arrivals into action before they’re ready, even with a squad occasionally light on proven senior firepower following Youssef Chermiti’s long-term ACL injury. It also underlines the broader theme running through this particular team selection: rewarding form and impact from within the existing group — as McCrorie’s promotion demonstrates — rather than defaulting to reputation or price tag when picking a team for a fixture as significant as this one

It would be easy to treat this as simply another midweek-to-weekend turnaround in a congested September schedule, but the stakes attached to beating Motherwell run deeper than three points alone. Rangers are still working to repair the psychological damage of their Jablonec exit, still adjusting to an extraordinary summer of squad turnover, and still trying to establish exactly what kind of team McInnes is building beyond the raw results. A third consecutive league win, particularly against a side that inflicted such damage on Rangers at this exact fixture twelve months ago, would represent genuine evidence of progress rather than simply keeping the wolves from the door for another week.

There’s also the matter of the table itself. Celtic’s five-point cushion at the top means Rangers cannot afford to drop points carelessly against sides they’d be expected to beat, and Motherwell’s own excellent underlying form — unbeaten through four league fixtures and sitting third — means this is precisely the kind of fixture that could easily slip away from a Rangers side still finding its feet under a new manager. McInnes will be acutely aware that a repeat of last season’s Ibrox capitulation against this exact opponent would represent a serious psychological setback at a moment when confidence is only just beginning to build.

It’s worth remembering, too, just how much churn this Rangers squad has been through in a matter of weeks. Fourteen new signings arrived at Ibrox across a transfer window McInnes himself described as feeling “like I’ve been to war,” while a string of departures — John Souttar, Bojan Miovski, Clinton Nsiala and Lyall Cameron among them — reshaped the fringes of the squad simultaneously. Layer on top of that the protracted uncertainty surrounding Raskin’s future, only now apparently resolved, and it becomes clear just how much noise this group of players has had to filter out in order to focus purely on results on the pitch.

Given all of that context, the fact that Rangers have strung together back-to-back wins, however unconvincing in patches, represents a reasonable foundation to build from. The challenge now is turning that foundation into something more consistent and more convincing, starting with a Motherwell side that will offer a considerably sterner examination of exactly how far this rebuilt squad has actually progressed.

Pandur; McCrorie, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice; Raskin, Neil; Curtis, Kim, Gassama; Shankland

Two changes, then, from the side that ground out victory at Falkirk in midweek — Ross McCrorie coming into the side at right-back on the back of his impressive impact from the bench, and Dan Neil restored to central midfield having missed out through a minor knock last time out. With Raskin’s future now settled and Shankland in irresistible form, McInnes will hope his side can finally produce a performance to match their recent results against opposition that has, in the very recent past, proven capable of inflicting real damage on this fixture at Ibrox.