Rangers

A particularly warm embrace given by Rangers manager Philippe Clement to Lawrence Shankland after the Ibrox side's 1-0 win away to Heart of Midlothian on Wednesday had fans speculating on social media that the Belgian is keen on signing the 28-year-old Scotland striker in January. (Daily Record), external

Former Rangers manager Michael Beale and current Ibrox coach Alex Rae are early contenders for the Sunderland manager's job after the sacking of Tony Mowbray, while former Celtic and Scotland midfielder Scott Brown, the 38-year-old who left the Fleetwood Town manager's job in September, has put his name forward. (Daily Record), external

Former Rangers manager Michael Beale is rated behind current favourite John Eustace, recently sacked by Birmingham City, to be Sunderland's new manager, with Kevin Muscat, the Yokohama F Marinos head coach who was interviewed recently by Rangers, also among those highly quoted by a bookmaker. (The Scotsman), external

Read Thursday's Scottish Gossip in full here.

Image source, BBC Sport

• Rangers have scored in each of their last 11 games in the Scottish Premiership, scoring 24 goals in that run.

• Rangers have kept a clean sheet in 10 of their 15 games, more than any other in the top flight this season.

• Abdallah Sima has scored eight goals this season (one in this game), more than any other Rangers player in the league.

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Either way, want your views on the game – have your say here.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement: "We made it difficult for ourselves. If you have five big chances in an away game, we should at least score three - and then it would be a different game.

"Then the belief stays with the other side with long balls and throw-ins. If one ball drops badly, you can be in trouble, but the team stood firm. We didn't give away many chances. We were strong in the duels, but we need to finish off our chances.

"I told them in the dressing room they are fighting now, they are a team. Whoever comes in does the job and works hard. Is everything perfect? No, but I see a team now. This mentality makes a difference."

Arguably Rangers' player of the season so far, Jack Butland again bailed out a wasteful attack.

The former England keeper, who made vital stops at vital times, is comfortably the Ibrox side's standout summer signing.

Image source, SNS

Nick McPheat, BBC Scotland

Philippe Clement's reaction at the full-time whistle said it all. Yes, he will have gripe about his attack spurning a load of opportunities again, but the Belgian knows how big a win this was for his side.

On nights like this, you need your goalkeeper to be your safety net and Jack Butland provided that again. The standout summer signing has been integral in Rangers boasting the Premiership's best defensive record this term.

Conceding just seven times in 15 fixtures is a very impressive return, with just two of those goals coming on the road in eight games.

If Steven Naismith could turn back the clock, would he decide to inject more pace into his attack from kick-off?

Hearts could have perhaps capitalised on Rangers' sloppy early play with more speed in their frontline. A counter-attacking situation in the first half highlighted that as Lawrence Shankland looked to race clear but instead had to shoot from distance with a lack of support either side.

Naismith will also have concerns about the other end. Rangers' goal was far too easy and on another night they could have bagged plenty.

But the Hearts boss will be buoyed by the comebacks of key trio Craig Gordon, Craig Halkett and Barrie McKay, who was the only one to make a return off the bench.

Rangers, meanwhile, will be fearing another injury lay-off for Tom Lawrence after the midfielder had to be removed from the action in the first half.

The big news at Tynecastle: Craig Gordon and Craig Halkett are back.

The Hearts keeper and centre-back return to a matchday squad for the first time in almost a year to take places on the bench.

Nathaniel Atkinson is back after three months out and he starts at right-wing back, with Kyosuke Tagawa also coming in for Yutaro Oda and Liam Boyce, who drops out altogether.

Barrie McKay, who has been out since August, also returns to the Hearts bench.

There are two changes for Rangers as left-back Ridvan Yilmaz replaces the missing Borna Barisic.

The final switch sees Danilo come in for Cyriel Dessers up top.

• Follow text updates & listen to match commentary from Tynecastle

Rangers and manager Philippe Clement will be "desperate" to sell players in January, in order to fund new recruits, believes BBC Scotland's chief sports writer Tom English.

Of the signings made in the summer under previous manager Michael Beale, the majority have struggled, with Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers and Jose Cifuentes copping flack from Rangers fans for their performances to date.

The Ibrox side travel to Tynecastle on Wednesday evening, looking to cut the gap to Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

"There are too many unconvincing players in this team and I'll be fascinated to see what Clement does with them, with the Lammers, with Cifuentes, with a couple of others," English said, speaking on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"They've gone through a difficult week with the whole Todd Cantwell saying, now he's back in the middle of the park, McCausland is out wide, that looks way better instantly; there's still a lot of issues there.

"Their AGM I thought was very interesting. John Bennett, the chairman, laying it out in no uncertain terms about the financial kind of waste that's been at the club.

"A lot of it was criticism veiled of previous regimes under Beale and Ross Wilson. I don't think there's going to be much spend at all in January. I don't think they have it to spend unless they move players out. I think they'd be desperate to move players out.

"So that game tonight will be a big, big test of Rangers metal."

Image source, SNS

Image source, SNS

• Hearts' last win over the Gers came in the Scottish Cup quarter-final in 2019-20 (1-0).

• Rangers have won each of their last four league trips to Hearts, last winning five successive league visits from 1998 to 2001 under Dick Advocaat.

• Hearts have won both of their last two home league games, last winning three on the spin in January last season (run of four).

• Rangers boast the best defensive record away from home in the Scottish Premiership this season, conceding just two goals in seven games on the road.

• Rangers have won 11 of their last 12 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (D1) since a 0-3 defeat at Celtic in February 2022. The one exception in this run, though, was a 2-2 draw with Hearts in May last season.

Rangers manager Philippe Clement is keen to formalise 22-year-old forward Abdallah Sima's loan from Brighton into a permanent move. (Record), external

New data suggests Rangers are one of the top five performing clubs in Europe over the past five years. (Sun), external

Hearts and Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, 40, could return to his club's squad for Wednesday's Scottish Premiership meeting with Rangers. (Sun), external

Head coach Steven Naismith urges Hearts "to unsettle" Rangers. (Edinburgh Evening News - subscription required), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip

Hearts will be without Liam Boyce (hamstring) and Cammy Devlin (ankle) as well as on-loan midfielder Alex Lowry, who is ineligible to face his parent club.

Long-term injury victims Craig Gordon (leg), Craig Halkett (knee), Nathaniel Atkinson (ankle) and Barrie McKay (knee) are all back in training and at least one of them could be on the bench on Wednesday.

On-loan Brighton defender Odel Offiah remains with his parent club following his recent medical issues.

Philippe Clement will assess a few knocks and bumps in his Rangers squad. Nico Raskin remains out as he begins a different route to recovery from his ankle injury while fellow midfielder Ryan Jack (unspecified injury) and Scott Wright (illness and a muscle problem) are working their way back to fitness.

Image source, SNS