IN six days’ time Rangers will lock horns with Celtic in a pivotal Old Firm derby that could have a big say in the destination of this year’s Premiership title.
Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men sit three points behind their arch-rivals as well as trailing by 14 goals in the goal difference department.
With just seven games of the campaign remaining, it’s imperative Rangers emerge victorious, or at least avoid defeat if they’re to retain the league crown.
In terms of team selection, there is a debate to be had as to who partners Connor Goldson at the heart of the defence. It’s likely to be one of Filip Helander or Leon Balogun with Calvin Bassey expected to start in his more natural position at left-back.
Both players are currently away on international duty with Sweden and Nigeria respectively. Helander came on as a substitute deep into extra time in a World Cup qualifying playoff win over the Czech Republic on Thursday. He and his Swedish teammates take on Poland in the final tomorrow evening.
Balogun, meanwhile, played the whole match in Nigeria's goalless draw with Ghana in the first leg of their World Cup qualifier, he’ll likely play a major role in the return leg tomorrow.
The pair have been plagued with injury issues this season, more so Helander who has been absent for much of the campaign and has featured just four times since returning to action.
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With the Swede omitted from the European squad, more on that later, it means van Bronckhorst has the luxury of keeping both players fairly fresh by utilising Balogun in Europe and Helander domestically.
We have seen this recently with Helander starting in Rangers' last two trips to Dens Park against Dundee and given he won’t be available against Braga the following Thursday, it would make sense to play him alongside Goldson at Ibrox on Sunday.
Furthermore, given the fact he’s predominately left-footed, he gives Rangers that balance in the backline, not to mention a composure and ability to read the game that could prove vitally important against a potent Celtic strikeforce.
That being said, the former Bologna man is still building up his match sharpness having been out for such a considerable amount of time and there is an element of risk associated with starting him in such an important fixture.
If we take a closer look at both players’ percentiles this term, we can see Balogun outperforms Helander in most departments. The obvious area where Helander comes out on top is his passing accuracy which could prove crucial given ball retention is key in these fixtures.
Personally speaking, Helander is Rangers’ best out-and-out defender and someone who, when fit, would be one of the first names on the teamsheet. However, this has been a frustrating injury-hit campaign which is why he was omitted from the European squad, something he has expressed his disappointment about.
He said: "I was just back in full training after the injury when the squad needed to be submitted and therefore I was not selected.
"It's very sad for me not to be able to participate in a possible final.
"So yes, of course, I am disappointed not to be allowed to be part of the squad.
"Physically, I feel great. I have not played that much after the injury, but it is great to be able to run again. My fitness is good.
"It's not fun to be injured. During rehab time, it does not feel like you are part of the team so it is never good. Now I have put it behind me and as I said, it feels good now."
It’s understandable why he would feel aggrieved at being left out and given Rangers have progressed deep into the Europa League, it’s a blow not having him available as part of the squad going forward.
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However, it’s encouraging to hear the 28-year-old feels ready for the challenges ahead. With the title race set to go to the wire, Helander is certain to play a very important role in the matches remaining.
There are, of course, arguments for Balogun to get the nod on Sunday. As illustrated previously, he has outperformed Helander in most areas this season and his displays in Europe alongside Goldson is a big reason why the club is about to compete in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Given Celtic are likely to pose the biggest test since Red Star and Borussia Dortmund, a Goldson-Balogun partnership would be one that wouldn’t give supporters any cause for concern.
Whether you are in Team Helander or Team Balogun, whoever gets the nod on Sunday will offer Rangers a robustness and solidity that was so badly lacking in the previous Old Firm clash at Parkhead.
As the old footballing cliché goes, to have two international defenders fighting for a starting place is a good managerial headache.
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