Rangers v Celtic – Gerrard goes for goals as Gers look to empty the tank, predicted XI

It seems like ages since we last played, given how used we are to playing every few days, when you have to wait a week between games it feels like a lifetime.

The Scottish Cup is an opportunity to put right a few wrongs, a poor domestic cup record for Steven Gerrard is one of them but also the manner in which the 2019/20 league cup final was lost – there is also the small matter of ending their season in the middle of April.

In terms of selection, James Tavernier and Ryan Jack remain the biggest absentees with Leon Balogun also joining them on the treatment table, thankfully Nathan Patterson is still available otherwise we really would have been struggling at right-back.

With this in mind, this is the XI I think Steven Gerrard will go with to face Celtic at Ibrox:

Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos are our best and most consistent goal scorers, the former looking sharper with every minute that he plays, having both of them together provides a significantly tougher challenge for Celtic’s defence and should also allow Ryan Kent more room to operate in, as seen with his goal against Hibs – it’s a lot easier for him to find space when he isn’t being double marked.

Midfield is the toughest call, deciding between the experience of Scott Arfield or the maverick potential of Joe Aribo is one that the gaffer will make depending on what game plan he wants to adopt, the Nigerian international is another one that could benefit from the additional space that two more central strikers would create.

If we play to our best we will win, they have been a laughing stock this season, but in Odsonne Edouard and Moi Elyounoussi they still have dangerous players, the key is to not let them get the time and space needed to create anything, personally, there is that much that goes through Edouard that it would be worth having Filip Helander stay with him wherever he goes.

John Kennedy thinks his side are still the best team in the country, time to prove him otherwise.