RangersMedia

Saturday 21st January, 3PM, Ibrox Stadium.

You wouldn't usually expect the twenty fourth match of an SPL season to arguably mark the start of a new era at the club.  Especially when there's been no change in manager, nor any significant change at boardroom level, while the starting XI is pretty much the same as last week.  Yet this is the first game in five years that Rangers will be without captain David Weir, who announced that he was leaving the club earlier this week at the ripe age of 41.  As such, although Steven Davis has been the de facto captain throughout the season, this is the first match in which the baton has been well and truly passed over to the Ulsterman.

Nevertheless, the team must put this changing of the guard to the back of their minds, as there is every chance that they could be kicking off the match five points behind first placed Celtic in the league.  And Aberdeen would be more than happy to keep it that way come full time.

Despite the arrival of Mervan Çelik this week, the Swede will not be able to take part tomorrow.  Add to this the departures of Weir and Fleck (the latter left for a loan spell at Blackpool), as well as the injuries to Whittaker, Broadfoot, Ness and Lafferty, it looks like another makeshift lineup will take to the field tomorrow.  However, there is good news in that Allan McGregor has recovered from his thigh injury, while Lee McCulloch returns from suspension.  Also, remarkably, Dorin Goian will play tomorrow, despite breaking his nose against St. Johnstone last week.

As for the oppossition from the north, Aberdeen have not won in over twenty years in Govan, and have not even garnered a single point against the champions in their last six attempts.  However, the Dons are unbeaten in their last four matches, and have just conceded one goal in that time span.  Also, while Rangers have lost their captian this week, Aberdeen have brought one back, with Russell Anderson returning to the Granite City after a four year spell down south.  Although unavailable to play tomorrow due to injury, his arrival should give everyone at the club a lift.

Finally, keep your eyes and ears open at half time, as representatives of this very website will take to the hallowed Ibrox turf to present a cheque of £1000 to the Former Players Benevolent Fund.  The site raised £500 through helping the charity sell wrist bands online, and pledged to double whatever was raised, taking the total sum donated to an even grand.

Predicted starting XI: McGregor; Bartley, Goian, Bocanegra, Papac; Aluko, Davis, Edu, Wallace; Healy, Jelavic.