St Mirren vs Rangers – News and Probable Lineups

St Mirren will be hosting a resurgent Rangers at the Marbill Coaches Stadium this Saturday for a 13th round encounter in the Scottish Premiership.

The home side is currently positioned eighth with 14 points from 12 matches, whereas the visitors are sitting second with 24 points acquired from 11 games.

Match overview

St Mirren started this season of the Scottish Premiership strongly, securing three wins and one draw in their first four fixtures, managing to keep three clean sheets and netting seven goals during this period.

However, the hosts’ luck turned sharply following a 2-1 loss to Celtic in early October, leading to a disheartening five-match losing streak for St Mirren.

The team snapped that losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Dundee but then followed that up with a 1-1 draw against Hibernian. Unfortunately, they suffered their sixth league loss of the season in their last match against Motherwell, conceding a late penalty from Lukas Fadinger that sealed a 1-0 defeat.

Due to their recent performances, St Mirren has dropped to eighth place in the standings with 12 points from 12 games, and only Kilmarnock (28) has allowed more than their 20 league goals this season — a stark contrast to their strong start with three clean sheets in their initial four matches.

Goals have been tough to come by during their recent struggles, netting just five times in their last eight outings, although they have found the back of the net three times in their last two games at the Marbill Coaches Stadium.

Craig McLeish’s squad has actually performed better at home this season, achieving two wins, two draws, and two defeats in their six home league encounters, notably going unbeaten in their last two matches at home, which they will hope to maintain against Rangers this Saturday.

The Gers approach matchday 13 as the form team in the Scottish Premiership, remaining unbeaten in their last nine league encounters, having achieved seven victories and two draws in that time.

Rangers have also secured their spot in the Scottish League Cup final, with notable wins against Celtic (3-0) and Aberdeen (1-0) during this period, which has propelled them to second place in the league standings.

Derek McInnes, who initially struggled to win any of his first four games as Rangers’ manager, will aim for his side to sustain their impressive momentum and grab another three points on Saturday, particularly as they trail league leaders Celtic by a mere four points while holding a game in hand over their Old Firm competitors.

The Gers remain the only team in the Scottish Premiership this season that has yet to lose an away match, boasting three wins and three draws on the road, and they also achieved a 1-0 victory in their last visit to St Mirren’s home ground.

Rangers have showcased their dominance in this fixture already this season, having recorded a commanding 5-1 win over St Mirren in the second round of the Scottish League Cup, followed by a 1-0 league victory in early September.

Team News

St Mirren are grappling with several injury problems, with at least five players unavailable, including Ismael Kabia, Keanu Baccus, Malik Dijksteel, Nikolas Agrafiotis, and Jonah Ayunga.

After a lackluster offensive display in their defeat to Motherwell, McLeish may consider making adjustments to his lineup, suggesting that Chris Mochrie and Jake Young could feature from the start on Saturday.

Rangers are contending with multiple injury concerns as well, as Cameron Devlin, Daisuke Yokota, Jose Cifuentes, Lawrence Shankland, Ross McCrorie, and Youssef Chermiti are all sidelined.

Ryan Don Naderi scored the decisive goal against Aberdeen in the Scottish League Cup semi-final on October 31 and is currently Rangers’ top scorer in the league with five goals; the forward is expected to start just behind Kevin Kelsy on Saturday.

St Mirren probable starting XI:

Chapman; Fraser, Gogic, Fieldson; Ramsay, Carr, Phillips, Thomas; Young, Sule, Mochrie

Rangers probable starting XI:

Pandur; Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Penrice; Raskin, Neil; Kim, Naderi, Gassama; Kelsy

St Mirren find themselves on a challenging path as they prepare to face a Rangers side that is thriving on the pitch. With two wins already in this match-up this season, the Gers are anticipated to secure a third victory over St Mirren this term come Saturday.