Sterling Likely to Miss Falkirk Match as Rangers New Signings Prepare
Dujon Sterling has been tipped to miss Rangers’ trip 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, competition in almost every position, and a group still jostling for status as the campaign starts to take shape.
Two of those desperate to turn minutes into something more meaningful are Ross McCrorie and Kosta Nedeljkovic. Both arrived in the summer. Both see Falkirk away as more than just an awkward cup tie on plastic. It could be a doorway.
Stewart questions Sterling’s involvement on plastic
Speaking on the 5 Stars Podcast alongside Ian Durrant, Stewart homed in on the one factor everyone circles when Falkirk at home comes out the hat: the pitch.
“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 blunt assessment and one that instantly throws a spotlight on McInnes’ selection. If Sterling does drop out, there are ready-made alternatives who will sense a chance to leap up the pecking order.
McCrorie and Nedeljkovic sense an opening
The door, then, could swing towards McCrorie or Nedeljkovic.
McCrorie returned to Ibrox in the summer, bringing Premiership know-how and the sort of versatility managers lean on across a long season. So far, though, his limited outings have been underwhelming. Falkirk, with the eyes of the support trained on how this new-look Rangers side copes away from home, offers him a clean slate and a louder stage.
Nedeljkovic, on loan from Aston Villa, is the other obvious candidate. Still settling into life at Rangers and into McInnes’ defensive structure, he represents a different profile and another way of configuring that back line.
A start at Falkirk would be more than just a box ticked for either player. Impress there, and they move from “option” to “argument” in McInnes’ mind when it comes to regular first-team football.
That kind of internal battle is exactly what Rangers built over the summer. Depth has been added across the squad, and every opening now feels like a test of who belongs in the core group and who slips to the fringes.
Durrant expects McInnes to stick, not twist
While Stewart wonders about Sterling, Durrant does not see McInnes ripping up a winning formula.
“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.
Durrant also pointed to a Falkirk side that will not sit in and spoil.
“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 subtle tweaks rather than sweeping rotation. One or two changes. Not six or seven.
If Sterling is one of those to drop out, the significance of the replacement grows.
Falkirk’s pitch: the last plastic outpost
The surface remains the great anomaly in the Scottish Premiership.
Falkirk were granted a grace period to replace their artificial pitch after winning promotion the season before last. For now, it stays. It also stands alone. No other top-flight club still plays on astro after Kilmarnock’s return to grass and Livingston’s relegation.
That uniqueness feeds into every pre-match conversation. Team selection. Footwear. Style of play. Risk.
For Rangers’ newer faces, it is an early examination of adaptability. For McInnes, it is a balance between protecting key players and maintaining rhythm.
If Stewart has read the situation correctly and Sterling does sit this one out, the night could belong to McCrorie or Nedeljkovic. One game, on an awkward surface, with a manager still shaping his first-choice defence.
For a Rangers player trying to climb the ladder under a new boss, how much bigger does an opportunity need to be?
