Michael Beale may have revamped his Rangers squad but he still sees Tom Lawrence and Kemar Roofe having key parts to play this season.
The Gers boss, who has recruited nine new players this summer, welcomed back the duo for the cinch Premiership game against Ross County in Dingwall on Saturday.
Lawrence signed from Derby last summer but the 29-year-old attacker has only recently recovered from a knee injury which has kept him out since the 4-0 win over the Staggies at Ibrox last August.
Striker Roofe, 30, has been impacted by injuries since he signed from Anderlecht in 2020 but is fit again, he has made two substitute appearances this season against Kilmarnock and Morton.
Asked how close he was to a preferred starting side, the Gers boss was unequivocal.
“Tom and Kemar are really in my thoughts for that,” said Beale, who revealed Glen Kamara is the closest of two players who could leave this week with Leeds linked with the midfielder.
“Not having them since I have been here has been a big frustration for me. Those two are in my thoughts as starters, not as back-up players.
“Every team needs three number nines and at the moment we have Cyril Desserts, Danilo and Kemar.
“We have other people who can play there. Abdallah Siam’s strongest position is probably a number nine but he can play both sides. Sam Lammers has played there as well.
“Kemar has shown it in training, but we have to make a call. He will not be able to be involved in three games a week right now so the call is the domestic games at the weekend that he is involved in and we will deal with Europe depending on what competition we are in and we will pick a squad then.
“Tom has obviously been out for 11 months, he has had a couple of behind-closed-doors training games.
“He played in the B team this week and he is ready to be involved. He is not ready to play 90 minutes right now but by the time we come back from the international break, Tom is ready to go as well. What a boost that is going to be to everybody.”
Romania international Ianis Hagi could also be on his way out of the club in the search for more game time.
Beale said: “Glen is the one who is closest. We had an honest conversation when I came back into the club about his future. There has been no fall-out.
“We were expecting Glen to move this summer. It was his wish as well. I wasn’t in the mood to persuade anyone to play for Rangers.
“It has to be the right club and valuation. He has been an excellent signing, but I want different here.
“There has been a lot of hot air around Ianis in the last week or so. It was a logical conversation. He has missed a year of football and we are very loaded in the positions he plays and he wants to know if is a main starter.
“We will see. It’s got to be right for Ianis and I am not dismissing Ianis being an important player either.”
Arteta hails 'phenomenal' Arsenal drive to take Man City all the way
Mikel Arteta hailed the "phenomenal" drive shown by his Arsenal side to push Manchester City all the way in the Premier League title race.
The Gunners moved one point clear of City at the Premier League summit on Sunday with a 1-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
City have a chance to restore their advantage when they travel to Arsenal's fierce rivals Tottenham on Tuesday, before then hosting West Ham.
Regardless of what happens in midweek, Arsenal will go into their final game of the campaign at home to Everton with the title battle still alive.
Speaking to BBC Sport after his side's latest win, Arteta said: "It is a phenomenal thing they are doing."
However, Arteta was not entirely pleased with the manner of his side's slender victory, even if they were good value for the win overall.
"We weren't composed, clean enough, consistent enough and were unable to do the simple things right," he said. "That doesn't give you control.
"Some of the players have not been in this position; they don't know what is at stake and how you feel emotionally to have to win and win and win from December or January."
Arsenal's win was just their second in 17 Premier League trips to Old Trafford, most recently coming out on top in November 2020.
Lenadro Trossard scored what proved to be the winner with 20 minutes played, tapping in from close range after being set up by Kai Havertz.
"We needed a result today in a really difficult place," Arteta added. "Our history was not in favour of a result today.
"There was so much at stake and we're happy with the result. We started the game really well and were dominant.
"We scored the goal and I think the goal led to slightly bad things because we started to play too safe, too sideways, too backwards with not enough structure.
"We started to give the ball away in good areas and that is a danger against them. But we defended well and didn't concede too much."
Arsenal now find themselves cheering on Tottenham against City, knowing that anything other than a win for Pep Guardiola's men will leave their title fate in their own hands.
Asked if he will be watching that game, Arteta said: "We will be sat watching and it’s true we need the result in order to achieve [the title]. In football there are always possibilities."
Tuchel skips goodbye from fans after final Bayern home game
Departing Bayern Munich coach Thomas Tuchel opted on Sunday to quietly slip into the changing rooms instead of joining his players to celebrate after the Bavarians beat Wolfsburg 2-0.
Tuchel will be leaving at the end of the season – a year earlier than his contract ends – following a disappointing campaign with no silverware.
The win came four days after Bayern's Champions League semi-final exit to Real Madrid confirmed their first season without a trophy in over a decade.
"These are the moments for the players," he said when asked why he did not join his squad who went in front of the Bayern ultras after their final home game of the season.
"I don't want to be in the spotlight there. That's for the team. I know that the cameras are there.
"I prefer to go in [to the changing rooms]. It is about the team. The fans are there for the team. They need to be celebrated."
There has been little to celebrate for Tuchel in his 14 months in charge, with Bayern having managed to win only the Bundesliga title last season after Borussia Dortmund slipped up on the final matchday.
He said he did not yet know what he would take away from his time at Bayern, who missed out on Bundesliga glory to Bayer Leverkusen this term.
"Last home game and what remains I don't really know," he said. "It will take some time to see what is left.
"It is a privilege to coach at this level. I came to win as many titles as possible. We did not succeed in that."
Juventus 1-1 Salernitana: Late Rabiot goal salvages home draw
Juventus snatched a 1-1 draw at home to relegated Salernitana courtesy of a late Adrien Rabiot goal that cancelled out a first-half header from Niccolo Pierozzi in Serie A on Sunday.
Juve are fourth on 67 points with two matches left, six points ahead of Atalanta, who have two games in hand.
Salernitana shocked the Allianz Stadium as unmarked Pierozzi headed home after 27 minutes following a corner.
But Juventus dominated the rest of the match and equalised in stoppage time when Rabiot slid the ball home at the back post after a corner was flicked on.
Bottom side Salernitana were doomed to the drop last month.
Juve play in the Italian Cup final against Atalanta on Wednesday in an effort to save a disappointing season and stop their winless streak at six matches in all competitions.
Data Debrief: Another stalemate for Juve
Juventus were grateful for a point come full-time, albeit it was a poor result in the grand scheme of things. Juve have now draw five successive matches in Serie A for the first time since between April and May 2009.
In fact, only Heidenheim of the Bundesliga (10) have drawn more matches than Juventus have (nine from 18 games) across Europe's top five leagues in 2024.
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