Rangers and Hearts meet in a potentially title-shaping Scottish Premiership clash at Ibrox on Sunday, with just five points separating the sides at the top of the table and 11 games remaining.
The visitors, chasing a first league title since 1960, arrive buoyed by a late Edinburgh derby win over Hibernian. Meanwhile, Rangers dropped points in midweek against Motherwell to lose ground in the race.
Rangers vs Hearts – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 15th February.
- Kick-off: 4:30pm BST.
- Venue: Ibrox Stadium, Glasgow.
Rangers team news
Rangers head coach Danny Röhl has kept his cards close to his chest ahead of the game, telling the media he has “learned not to talk about availability too early” after criticism around selection for the 1-1 draw with Motherwell.
Max Aarons missed that trip to Fir Park. Elsewhere, long-term absentees Connor Barron and Derek Cornelius remain sidelined. Midfielder Bailey Rice also out.
Despite that, Rangers are expected to name an attacking XI as they look to cut Hearts’ lead at the summit, with Jack Butland in goal, James Tavernier in his usual right back position, and Mohamed Diomande, Mikey Moore and Bojan Miovski likely to start.
Röhl has stressed the magnitude of the occasion, saying the chance to close the gap from 13 points when he arrived down to just two “is a significant opportunity” and describing a win over Hearts as “huge” for Rangers’ season.
Hearts team news
Derek McInnes’ side remains deprived of midfielders Cammy Devlin and Calem Nieuwenhof. Also sidelined are Finlay Pollock and top scorer Lawrence Shankland, while defender Stephen Kingsley has suffered an injury setback in January.
There is better news in defence, with centre-half Craig Halkett back from suspension to bolster a back line that already includes ever-present figures such as Frankie Kent and Harry Milne.
McInnes has praised his team’s resilience after the derby win, calling it “a beautiful sight” to see Hearts grinding out results and highlighting their mentality and togetherness as key reasons they sit top of the table.
Form
Rangers
Rangers come into this one on the back of a frustrating 1-1 draw away to 10-man Motherwell, a result that prevented them from cutting further into Hearts’ advantage at the top.
Across the broader campaign, Rangers have drawn 10 of their 26 league fixtures – more than any of their title rivals – but still sit second with 14 wins, 10 draws and only two defeats, amassing 52 points and a goal difference of +24.
Hearts
Hearts arrive in Glasgow as league leaders, with 17 wins, six draws and just three defeats from 26 Premiership matches, giving them 57 points and a +28 goal difference.
That record leaves McInnes’ men five points clear of Rangers ahead of kick-off, having extended their advantage thanks to Magnusson’s late strike against Hibs and Rangers’ stumble at Motherwell.
Predicted lineups
Rangers: Butland; Tavernier, Souttar, Djiga, Meghoma; Raskin, Chukwuani; Gassama, Diomande, Moore; Miovski.
Hearts: Schwolow; McEntee, Kent, Findlay, Milne; Leonard, Magnusson; Chesnokov, Braga, Kyziridis; Kabore.
How to watch Rangers vs Hearts?
UK viewers can watch Rangers vs Hearts live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.
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