Rangers Vs Hibs - Official Matchday Thread

Kyle Bartley is looking for Rangers to bounce back as a team after admitting his mistake cost the side in the weekend draw with Aberdeen.

The on-loan Arsenal defender admits he was disappointed with his own role in Kari Arnason's goal that allowed the Dons to take the lead on Saturday.

But the 20-year-old Englishman is keen to put that, and the 1-1 result behind him and move Rangers forward with a home win over Hibs.

"It was a very disappointing result and it was a poor goal to give away. Looking back on that I feel we should have done better with it, especially me.

"I was a little bit too eager to get to the ball and should have shown him down the outside a little better than I did.

"That's been and gone now though and we have to look forward to the weekend now and get a good result against Hibernian."

Bartley's knee was heavily strapped at the weekend but he and manager Ally McCoist are hopeful that he will once again be involved this weekend against second bottom Hibs.

He added "I've been for a scan on my knee and I'm just waiting to hear from the doctor on the results of that.

"It's the opposite side of my knee from the last injury which is a bit of a relief but it's obviously still a bit of a concern when it's you knee.

"The physios and the doctor have been great though, so I've managed to get through the last couple of games.

"I wasn't at 100 per cent but these days very few players go out feeling that way so I managed to get through the game, and I'm hoping I'll be fine."



Ally McCoist will include Mervan Celik in his squad for the first time as he prepares to face Hibs without the services of Nikica Jelavic.

The Croatian striker has been hit by a bug that makes him unavailable but McCoist is likely to include Celik in his match day squad for the first time since his signing last Friday.

McCoist has limited options with a host of first team players remaining on the sidelines.

He must once again do without long term absentee Steven Naismith who is joined in the treatment room by Kyle Lafferty, Steven Whittaker, Jamie Ness, Kirk Broadfoot and now Jelavic.

Kane Hemmings is also still on the comeback trail but McCoist must shuffle his pack as he seeks to get his side back to winning ways in the SPL.

A 1-1 draw with Aberdeen last weekend left the Light Blues four points behind rivals Celtic in the title race and the Rangers boss knows his side need to put together a winning run.

He said: "We don't want any more slip ups. I'm not going to say we can't have any because we don't know that, but we certainly want to minimise them.

"The majority of people will look at the Aberdeen game and see it as two points dropped and I would be one of those.

"I thought we did enough to win the game, but that's four draws at home and eight points dropped and we don't want any more.

"Unfortunately I can't put my finger on why. Last week was down to a little bit of bad luck and maybe some bad finishing.

"I though the attitude and application and desire to win the game were fine and I'd settle for the same sort of activity level around the opposition box, with maybe some better finishing."