Rangers meet Aberdeen in the semifinal of the cup tie on Saturday evening at the Ibrox Stadium, looking to continue their 10-match undefeated run.
Rangers vs Aberdeen – Match preview and team news
- Date: Saturday, 31st October.
- Kick-off: 5:30pm BST.
- Venue: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow.
Rangers team news
Rangers head into the high-stakes match juggling critical absences across midfield and attack. Manager Derek McInnes faces a major late fitness test for midfielder Tochi Chukwuani, who underwent a knee scan following discomfort in the midweek fixture against Hearts.
The squad is heavily depleted by a lengthy injury list, with Lawrence Shankland sidelined due to a torn thigh muscle, Cammy Devlin out with a hamstring issue, and Daisuke Yokota recovering from groin surgery.
Additionally, Ross McCrorie and Youssef Chermiti remain unavailable. Despite these losses, Dan Neil is set to captain the side alongside Nicolas Raskin in midfield.
The primary goal threat falls to Kevin Kelsy, who enters the tie in blistering form with five goals in his last six appearances. McInnes still faces a tactical headache in defence, weighing whether to start Emmanuel Fernandez or opt for the experience of Ben Godfrey.
Aberdeen team news
Aberdeen are facing a catastrophic defensive crisis as manager Stephen Robinson attempts to piece together a makeshift backline. The Dons have seen their defensive options entirely hollowed out, with Chris Cadden ruled out by a hamstring injury and Kristers Tobers suffering a fresh setback.
They join long-term absentees Lewis Mayo, who is sidelined with a foot fracture, and Mats Knoester, out with a thigh injury. Further complicating selection, centre-back Dan Happe is unavailable due to a domestic suspension, while winger Tony Yogane faces a late fitness test as he recovers from illness.
Robinson is forced to deploy a highly experimental central defensive alignment to shield goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov. On a brighter note, the offensive burden will be spearheaded by Kevin Nisbet, whose phenomenal record of nine goals in six League Cup games remains Aberdeen’s most potent weapon to exploit the Rangers defense.
Form
Rangers
Rangers enter the semi-final in excellent domestic form, sitting second in the Premiership. They have shown strong consistency, remaining unbeaten in their last four league matches. Following a dominant 4-0 victory over St. Johnstone, the Gers played out a competitive 2-2 midweek draw away against Hearts. Boasting an explosive attack, they have scored nine goals across their last four fixtures, providing major momentum ahead of this crucial Cup tie.
Aberdeen
Aberdeen are enduring a difficult, turbulent stretch as they battle severe defensive inconsistencies. The Dons have suffered a dip in momentum, losing three of their last four Premiership matches. After a solid 3-1 victory over St. Mirren, they slipped to a tough 3-2 defeat against Dundee United and subsequently fell 1-0 at home to Falkirk in midweek. Finding defensive stability remains their primary challenge heading to Hampden.
Predicted lineups
Rangers: Pandur; Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice; Neil, Raskin; Kim, Naderi, Gassama; Kelsy
Aberdeen: Muller; Cadden, Molloy, Happe, Guinness-Walker; Lyons, Afeez; Smith, Armstrong, Ronan; Nisbet
How to watch Rangers vs Aberdeen?
The Premier Sports Cup semi-final between Rangers and Aberdeen will be broadcast live in the UK on Premier Sports 1.
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