Rangers v Kilmarnock preview: Steven Gerrard's new side look to strengthen top-three place
Saturday 5 May 2018 15:07, UK
Rangers will hope to start laying down positive foundations for new manager Steven Gerrard when they host Kilmarnock on Saturday.
Gerrard, who won't be at Ibrox this weekend, was confirmed as Rangers' next manager on Friday, signing a four-year deal to take over at the end of the season.
Rangers have three games of the campaign remaining and are battling to finish in the top three in the Scottish Premiership.
They start the weekend in third place, level on points with fourth-placed Hibernian, who travel to Aberdeen.
Rangers have only won two of their last seven games in all competitions and sacked manager Graeme Murty after a 5-0 defeat to Old Firm rivals Celtic last weekend. Murty's assistants, Jimmy Nicholl and Jonatan Johansson, will be in charge for the final three games of the season.
While some have questioned the wisdom of Gers handing their managerial role to a first-time boss, Kilmarnock manager Steve Clarke, who worked with Gerrard during his time as a coach at Liverpool, said: "Every manager was a rookie manager one day.
"I worked with Steven while I was a coach at Liverpool. He was a great player and is a really good person."
Kilmarnock are unbeaten against Rangers this term, and Clarke added: "We're not thinking too much about what is going on there - we're just focusing on what we're trying to do.
"We understand and respect that they are all difficult games after the split for us but we're looking to get the points."
Team news
David Bates has re-joined the Rangers squad after suffering an ankle injury that has kept him out since March.
Bruno Alves was also back training having sat out last weekend's 5-0 defeat by the Hoops with a hamstring strain.
However, Josh Windass and Lee Hodson have picked up knocks and will miss this weekend's showdown along with Wes Foderingham (shoulder), Declan John (broken hand) and Ryan Jack (knee), while skipper Lee Wallace and Kenny Miller remain unavailable due to a club suspension.
Alan Power and Kirk Broadfoot could sit out for Kilmarnock.
Midfielder Power is struggling with a calf complaint while defender Broadfoot only returned to training on Friday after complaining of a tight quad muscle in the wake of last week's defeat at Hibernian.
Youngsters Innes Cameron (hamstring), Rory McKenzie (knee) and Steven Smith (back) remain on the casualty list.
Opta stats
- Rangers have won just one of their last four top-flight games against Kilmarnock at Ibrox (D1 L2), suffering as many defeats during this period as they did in the 25 Scottish Premiership games between the two sides prior (W22 D1 L2).
- Killie are unbeaten in four league games against Rangers (W2 D2), losing just one of the previous eight meetings between the two sides in the top-flight (W4 D3).
- Rangers have lost just one of their last 11 Scottish Premiership games played during the month of May (W8 D2).
- Rangers are unbeaten in their last two league games at the Ibrox, they haven't won three in a row since a five-game winning streak in December 2016.
- Kilmarnock have lost each of their last two league games after a six-game winning streak, they last lost three successive games in August (five in a row).
