Pedro Caixinha drops slight hint regarding what Rangers team for Kilmarnock game may look like

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Glasgow Rangers host Kilmarnock at Ibrox in their first Scottish Premiership game following their Scottish League Cup semi-final defeat.

Pedro Caixinha has told Sky Sports that, if he could, he would be tempted to pick exactly the same Rangers team for their Scottish Premiership clash with Kilmarnock on Wednesday as the one that lost to Motherwell in the Scottish League Cup semi-final on Sunday.

The Gers endured a miserable day at Hampden Park at the weekend, with two goals from Louis Moult seeing Well book their place in the final where they will face off with Celtic.

It was a hugely disappointing performance from Rangers. And Caixinha has suggested ahead of their clash with Killie at Ibrox this week that if he was able to pick the same side that started the semi-final – both Jak Alnwick and Fabio Cardoso will not be available due to injury – he would do so because they desperately need to make amends, after what he described as an embarrassing performance.

“I think I cannot count with Jak, the goalkeeper, because he felt contusions in the arm. It was interesting for you to see Fabio’s face today, so I cannot count with him, but I told the players you’re embarrassing me, you’re embarrassing our club, you embarrass our fans,” he told Sky Sports.

“Now it’s time for you to react and I’m glad that we are playing on Wednesday.

“So if I can pick the same XI, if all of them were available, those guys who didn’t do the work that they really needed to do yesterday, those are the ones who are going to start the match.”

With Caixinha coming in for a lot of criticism following the semi-final, the Gers’ league form arguably becomes hugely important for the Portuguese as it is the only competition that the club need to worry about for the next couple of months.

If Rangers lose anymore ground to the early pace-setters then it will surely be harder for Caixinha to suggest that the club is moving in the right direction under him now that their chances of winning silverware in 2016 have been dashed.