Rangers star who hasn't played all month could feature vs Aris

Rangers star who hasn’t played all month could feature vs Aris

Glasgow Rangers dropped points in the Premiership for the first time under Philippe Clement on Sunday.

The 1-1 against Aberdeen meant the Ibrox side didn’t lose ground in the title race, yet a win would have closed the gap on Celtic at the top.

The Light Blues had 11 shots on target during the tie, but it was a last-minute penalty which saw the points shared at Pittodrie and now the attention turns to the Europa League clash against Aris Limassol on Thursday evening.

There will likely be a few changes to the starting XI ahead of the tie, and Leon Balogun will be one who definitely drops out as he is not included in the Europa League squad.

Leon Balogun’s game vs Aberdeen in numbers

The 35-year-old has proved very useful under Clement’s reign so far and has started four of the previous eight matches under the Belgian.

The Nigerian was in fine fettle against Aberdeen, winning 100% of his ground duels during the tie along with winning 60% of his aerial duels, and his strength in these one-on-one battles is tremendous and a vital asset.

Balogun arguably should have had a goal or two also, missing two big chances to bring Rangers back into the game, while even hitting the woodwork and his threat at the opposite end of the pitch gave the Gers an advantage at times.

Clement will miss him against the Cypriot side, but the question remains, who will step up and replace him at the heart of the defence?

John Souttar could make his first start since the 0-0 draw against Sparta Prague in the Europa League last month.

John Souttar’s season in numbers

The former Hearts centre-back arrived at the club in 2022 and was looking to make the step up after shining for the Gorgie outfit.

He suffered an injury during the first league game of the season, however, and Souttar made just 13 appearances throughout 2022/23.

The 6 foot 1 titan knuckled down in pre-season and started eight of the opening nine matches of the season in both the Champions League qualifiers and the Premiership.

Hailed as a “presence” by current teammate Ryan Jack, Souttar has shone in the top flight during the current campaign. Across the whole squad, the 26-year-old currently ranks fourth for accurate passes per game (63.3), while also ranking fourth for accurate long balls per game (4.7) and second for clearances per game (3.4), indicating how impressive he has been in defence since becoming a regular member of the starting XI.

Souttar has also won a staggering 80% of his ground duels in the Premiership this season and his physicality is clearly a key strength which allows him to brush off opposition attackers with ease.

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While Balogun may not be in the European squad, Clement must unleash Souttar alongside Connor Goldson at the heart of the defence.

Not only will he manage to shackle Aris, but a 90-minute run out could do wonders for his confidence having missed a few games recently with a muscle problem.