8 Clement Rangers takeaways on squad fitness and Celtic win ‘more than trophy’

Philippe Clement has refused to name his injured Rangers squad for this weekend’s Scottish Cup Final clash with Celtic.

The Ibrox boss is keeping his cards very close to his chest as he and his players prepare for their last crack at their rivals when the two Glasgow giants go head to head at Hampden for the final available silverware of the campaign. Clement was missing as many as 11 stars for the last derby day at Parkhead but he left fans – and Brendan Rodgers – guessing when it comes to who might be available to play at the national stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Belgian, addressing the press this afternoon, also hinted at how long he’d give his squad to prove they’re fit and ready to go for the big game.

Football Scotland has picked out eight key takeaways from Clement’s presser.

Injuries and available stars

I don’t wanna say too much about the squad, this is the final game, a decisive game so maybe we need to take some risks with players that we normally don’t do because there’s a season coming after. I don’t wanna get too much into which player is ready and who can start or not. I did it all season, every occasion, every three days with you guys, this one I don’t want to speak much about that.

This game more than just trophy?

It’s always more than a trophy in this country between these two clubs. So it’s always the case, of course you want a better preparation the last six to eight weeks it’s been difficult with all the players falling out, injuries, missing rhythm, it’s now about this one moment. 90 minutes, 120 minutes, penalties, to give everything from the whole squad with everybody who’s available. We’re gonna go hard with the team and every energy available in the building.

Show fans Rangers can beat Celtic to prove summer mindset

I don’t think it will be major differences in decision making. Maybe a player can change their mind to stay if he makes something really special out of this game, that can always happen but I didn’t say a lot, so you guys making the story bigger and bigger. Also it’s difficult to say what is a lot, we need to make changes, it’s clear. Something happened this season that was not good enough, it’s ambition to make the club and team better, so it’s clear we need to do that for next summer and season. First we need to focus on the now, grab the moment because if I look back at last three Old Firms, we didn’t grab the moments in those games. Not in offensive actions where we had enough chances to score more goals, not defensively and not by taking two times a red card. That changed a lot of the game scenarios. I expect in the 90 or 120 minutes to have 11 players on the pitch at all times, and to make better starts.

Would John Lundstram return be big call?

I’m never gonna make decisions on what fans are thinking. That’s emotion and they don’t see training or the team working, they don’t know the players or how they are in the dressing room so I don’t think I need to answer that question if I need to start him or not. It’s a decision I’ll make with my staff about what I see in training and what I’ve seen in games the last few months.

Players need injections to play through pain barrier?

I’m not a doctor so not speaking about injections. All the players want to play this game, all of them. Some want to go really on the edge to be there and play, so we’re gonna need to make smart decisions about that. How many minutes they can do without too much risk. But they want to do it and that’s already the main thing.

How long to prove fitness?

I need to see tomorrow at training. The final moment to show you’re fit enough to play some moments in the game. Otherwise if they didn’t train all week it’s impossible to play some minutes.

Stressing to cut out red cards

It’s one of my principles in the dressing room so it’s not something new. It was two different red cards so like I’ve said the last time it was a split-second decision and the totally wrong decision, and the player knows that in that moment. I don’t think it was about losing the head in that moment, it was a wrong decision. You can’t afford that in these kinds of games where the intensity is that high and where every decision can be vital.

Must there be a mindset change?

For sure our beginning in the game has to be better. For sure. We worked on that the last time, wasn’t good enough, so we’re gonna try it again in a different way. But it was important, circumstances also sometimes go against you in a really unlucky way if I think about Ibrox after 22 seconds, the ball could land everywhere but it lands in the corner next to the goalkeeper. That’s the worst start you can have, let’s go full now to have a much better start.