Rangers predicted to face Dynamo Kiev

Glasgow Rangers are already behind in the Premiership title race after dropping two crucial points in their first game of the season.

The 0-0 draw with Hearts at Tynecastle will hopefully give Philippe Clement a big wake-up call about strengthening his squad, with several members of the starting XI clearly nowhere near the standard required at Ibrox.

The Belgian has no time to refocus as Rangers face Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League qualifiers in the first leg on Tuesday evening.

The Guardians will have to improve quickly if they want to get a positive result from the Ukrainian people. Qualifying for a place in the newly-arranged competition will see a major financial prize awarded to the club.

There is no pressure at the moment, but Clement will be making a few changes to his squad as a big test awaits in Poland during the first leg.

Here is the XI Football FanCast predicted to take to the field on Tuesday evening…

1

GK – Jack Butland

Butland played well against Hearts, making some incredible stops to prevent the Jambos from scoring and securing all three points.

It seems that he begins this name as he ended, in the state of his life. Long may it continue. Clement now needs all the starting XI to step up and deliver the same level of performance as Butland.

With the tie likely to be tight, the 'keeper could make the difference in whether Rangers can secure a good result or not.

2

RB – James Tavernier

The captain didn't have the best of games last weekend. Not only did he fail to score or get an assist, but Tavernier managed to lose 26 times during the game, which shows that he was not playing well.

Dujon Sterling missed the Hearts tie through injury but should be back for the game against Kiev. He might start off the bench, but if Tavernier puts in another poor showing, he could be called up soon.

The pressure is on the captain to deliver when needed. Can he handle it?

3

CB – John Souttar

Like Tavernier, the Scot was not at his best against his former club, accused of receiving long balls over the top, which Lawrence Shankland used during the match.

His distribution was excellent, however, finishing the game with a 92% pass rate while losing the ball just five times throughout the game.

Improvement is needed for the Ukrainian team, but if Souttar can perform at his best, he is a solid defender.

4

CB – Robin Propper

Although it looks like Propper will be ready to start the game against Hearts, having signed last week, he did not even make the squad.

Ben Davies endured a dreadful display against the Edinburgh side, receiving a match rating of just 2/10 from Glasgow World, which proves he should be dropped from the starting XI.

Last season, Propper won 60% of all his duels at Twente in the Dutch top flight while also receiving 5.2 balls per game, showing his defensive skills.

5

LB – Ridvan Yilmaz

The Turkish defender has been established as the first choice left-back under Clement since Barisic left the Gers.

Yilmaz will be looking to provide more going forward than he did against the Jambos, succeeding with two of his five dribbling attempts while delivering zero accurate crosses in nine attempts.

An improvement against Kiev is needed if Rangers are to get a good result.

6

CM – Connor Barron

The youngster showed maturity beyond his 21 years at the weekend, performing well in his first competitive game for the club.

He was involved throughout, taking 68 touches while finishing the game with a success rate of 86%, and Barron could be one of the best players signed by Clement this summer.

The first game of the Champions League against Kiev awaits. Can he shine in Europe's top club competition?

7

CM – Mohamed Diomande

The Ivory Coast international will work with Barron in midfield as he did against Hearts, but should do better on Tuesday evening.

He won only five of his 15 contests against the Jambos, and lost 17 possessions. There's no doubting his quality, but these numbers will have to improve as the weeks go on.

8

RW – Vaclav Cerny

Another new player who looked like he would start on Saturday but had to come off the bench.

Scott Wright has also struggled for the Light Blues, meaning Cerny should be named in the starting XI against Kiev on Tuesday evening.

He has scored four Bundesliga goals in his first 12 seasons at Wolfsburg, showing that he is a threat up front. Can he start his Light Blues career with a bang?

9

LW – Rabbi Matondo

Oscar Cortes is back after an injury break last Saturday, meaning Matondo will be in the starting XI.

The Welsh midfielder scored against PSV Eindhoven in last season's Champions League qualifiers. He will be looking to repeat the trick this time around.

10

AM – Tom Lawrence

With Todd Cantwell and Ianis Hagi set to leave Ibrox, and Sam Lammers leaving, the Light Blues have several options for the number ten role.

Lawrence will again play his role behind the striker against Kiev, but it is clear that Clement must sign another attacking midfielder before the end of the transfer window.

11

ST – Cyril Dessers

The player from Nigeria hit the woodwork and threw away a big chance against Hearts in the league opener. Déjà vu, who?

He never fails to give 100%, but the club needs a striker who will score 30 or more goals in a season, something Dessers cannot achieve due to his lack of clinical presence in the penalty area.

Since Hamza Igamane is not quite ready to start and Danilo's fitness is unclear, Clement will have to insist with Dessers. Can he redeem himself against the Ukrainian side on Tuesday evening?

Rangers XI predicted for Dynamo Kiev: GK – Butland; RB – Tavernier, CB – Souttar, CB – Propper, LB – Yilmaz; CM – Barron, CM – Diomande; RW, Cerny, AM – Lawrence, LW – Matondo; ST – Desserts.