Rangers travel across Glasgow to face Celtic at Parkhead.
Former Rangers striker Steven Thompson has urged Graeme Murty in his Scottish Herald column to start midfielder Jason Holt in order to contain Celtic captain Scott Brown on Sunday.
Murty, 43, is likely to take control of his last Old Firm derby as manager on Sunday at Paradise, with the Gers reportedly in talks with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard over a move to Ibrox.
The Gers were battered 4-0 last time out against the Scottish champions, as Murty’s decision to play a midfield three of Greg Docherty, Andy Halliday and Graham Dorrans backfired.
Thompson – who is a pundit with BBC Sportscene – believes Murty should consider starting Holt, whose hard-working style of play could be just what Rangers need in order to stop the influence of captain Brown.
“Putting Jason Holt on him [Brown] may be the most logical move because of his energy, but it’s hardly a match-up,” Thompson said.
“Graham Dorrans could play up one, but that leaves Holt and Greg Docherty sitting, and if I was in the Celtic midfield I wouldn’t be overly concerned about facing up to that.
“It’s an area that Rangers really need to strengthen if they are to have any pretensions of stopping 10-in-a-row.”
Holt, 25, had been left out of Rangers’ 18-man squad for the two games prior to the 4-0 defeat to Celtic, in which he made a 17-minute cameo appearance. But he impressed in the Gers’ last outing, a 2-1 win over Hearts.
Former Hearts midfielder Holt is certainly on the fringes at Ibrox, having appeared only 21 times in the league out of a possible 34 games.
Celtic can clinch the Scottish Premiership title – their seventh consecutive league triumph – if they beat Rangers on Sunday, as they sit 10 points clear with only four league games to play.
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