Sterling Likely to Miss Falkirk Trip as Rangers New Signings Eye Opportunities
Dujon Sterling has been backed to miss Rangers’ visit to Falkirk, with former Ibrox forward Greg Stewart predicting the defender will be left out on the Bairns’ artificial surface.
Rangers head into the tie with a squad that looks very different from last season. Derek McInnes has options everywhere, real competition for shirts, and a group of players still jostling for position as the campaign begins to take shape.
Two of those pushing hardest are Ross McCrorie and Kosta Nedeljkovic. Both arrived in the summer. Both need minutes. And both could see this Falkirk clash as the perfect platform to force their way into McInnes’ thinking.
Stewart: “I don’t think Sterling will play”
Speaking alongside Ian Durrant on the 5 Stars Podcast, Stewart homed in on the one factor that always changes the conversation in Scotland: plastic.
“Astro turf as well, it always comes into play. So, it'll be interesting to see how the new boys, that are not used to it, take to it,” he said. “I don't think Sterling will play well because of that.”
It was a pointed remark, and it throws extra intrigue on McInnes’ team sheet. Rangers have alternatives. Hungry ones. If Sterling is rested or left out, there will be no shortage of volunteers to step in.
McCrorie and Nedeljkovic sense an opening
That’s where McCrorie and Nedeljkovic come in.
McCrorie returned to Ibrox in the summer, bringing Premiership know-how and the sort of versatility managers lean on over a long season. His comeback hasn’t sparked yet; his minutes have been limited and, when they have come, they’ve been underwhelming.
He needs a performance. Falkirk could be it.
Nedeljkovic, on loan from Aston Villa, offers another route into the back line as McInnes works through his preferred defensive combinations. Still settling, still adjusting, but clearly in the frame.
A start here would be more than a token outing. It would be a chance to impress on a tricky surface, in an awkward tie, under the kind of scrutiny that shapes early-season pecking orders. Take it, and they don’t just cover for Sterling – they move closer to becoming regulars.
That matters, because Rangers did serious business in the summer. Depth is no longer a luxury; it’s the expectation.
Durrant: McInnes unlikely to rip things up
While Stewart focuses on who might drop out, Durrant is looking at who should stay in.
“I don't think he'll tinker too much, I think. After that result and how well they played, and how well they battled,” he said.
Rangers’ style, he believes, fits this type of game.
“They all like to play a brand of football, which I think will suit Rangers. They always like to be on the front foot, they knock it about.
“I'm sure Rangers now, if they're on their A game, they can pick them off.”
So the expectation is continuity, not chaos. A largely settled side, with one or two carefully chosen adjustments rather than a full reshuffle.
Falkirk’s pitch: the last of its kind
All of this unfolds on a surface that refuses to leave the conversation.
Falkirk’s artificial pitch remains a unique wrinkle in the Premiership calendar. The club were granted a grace period to replace it after winning promotion the season before last, and they now stand alone in the top flight with an astro surface.
Kilmarnock have gone back to grass. Livingston dropped out of the division. Falkirk’s pitch is the last one standing.
That makes team selection more than just a tactical exercise. It’s about who can handle the bounce, the pace, the feel underfoot – and who might be better protected for battles to come.
If Stewart is right and Sterling steps aside, the door swings open for McCrorie or Nedeljkovic. One game, one awkward surface, and one very real chance to change McInnes’ plans for the months ahead.
