Rangers backed to axe players in January as Brendan Rodgers plays waiting game for injured Celtic star

Rangers finally made up some ground on Celtic at the weekend after the last round of Scottish Premiership results before Christmas. While the Hoops remain comfortable at the top of the table, they were denied another win after settling for a 0-0 draw against Dundee United.

Meanwhile, Rangers’ narrow 1-0 win over Dundee on Saturday was enough to slightly close the gap on their Old Firm rivals. Let’s take a look at some of the latest headlines following the recent results.

Rangers backed to axe ‘a couple’ of players in January

Former Aberdeen chief Keith Wyness has predicted a small winter clear-out for Rangers as they approach the January transfer window. After posting an increased net loss of £17 million, Wyness has backed the club to offset some players in the new year in order to cut costs.

Amid financial struggles and the rising uncertainty surrounding Philippe Clement’s lately, Rangers could make some significant changes as early as January within the squad. Speaking to Football Insiders, Wyness stressed the importance of ‘keeping costs low and revenues high’ when it comes to business and football.

“You have got to do one or the other. I don’t think the revenue side has been too rosy for Rangers, so I’m afraid cost-cutting is one of the only routes. But they are going to have to be very careful in terms of the balance of that squad.

“I don’t think it’s that lengthy of a squad right now and they can’t afford to do too much, but there’s got to be something done on the cost side. I am sure there will be a couple that will go. Clement must know his squad by now and he must have had the pressure from the board to cut some costs, so we will see how they play it.”

Rodgers plays waiting game over injured star

Celtic had four absences in their latest Scottish Premiership clash as key players were ruled out through either injury or illness. Brendan Rodgers has provided an update on those who missed out, predicting Alistair Johnston to be back for their Boxing Day meeting with Motherwell. Cameron Carter-Vickers and Austin Trusty only missed out due to illness but the wait on Nicolas Kühn could be longer.

With 12 goals and 11 assists in all competitions so far this season, the winger has been a key part of Rodgers’ squad. However, the boss is unsure how long his recent knee issue could keep him on the sidelines.

“Nicolas, we will need to see. He’s been tentative with his knee and we didn’t want to risk that. I don’t know how long Nicolas will be out for,” Rodgers said. “Hopefully it’s not long-term. He felt a problem with his knee and then he felt a twinge on Saturday. We hope that it’s not too long but I will find out more on Monday about whether he will be back for Thursday.