Glasgow Rangers are set to face off against Ross County in the Scottish Premiership at Ibrox this evening in their penultimate match of 2023.
The Light Blues will head into 2024 top of the table if they can win their next two matches – today and against Celtic on Saturday – and that is a fantastic incentive for Philippe Clement and his players.
They are coming into this match off the back of a 2-0 win over Motherwell in the top-flight on Sunday, thanks to first-half goals from Kieran Dowell and Todd Cantwell.
With three games in the space of six days, the Belgian head coach could look to rotate his squad. With this in mind, the ex-Monaco boss must finally unleash Leon King from the start as a defensive midfielder over Dujon Sterling.
Dujon Sterling's performance against Motherwell in numbers
The summer signing from Chelsea has been deployed in a new role in the middle of the park by Clement and produced some impressive displays.
However, the 24-year-old ace did not enjoy his best afternoon on Sunday as the English whiz struggled in and out of possession throughout the game.
Sterling lost 60% (6/10) of his duels throughout the match, which included two of his three on the deck, and did not make a single tackle or interception in 90 minutes on the pitch.
He also lost possession a staggering 20 times and did not create a single chance for his teammates, to go along with a pass success rate of just 64%.
These statistics show that the ex-Stoke City loanee struggled to impact the game at both ends of the pitch positively and this could open the door for King to be unleashed.
Why King should start against Ross County
The Gers academy graduate has spent the vast majority of his senior career at Ibrox as a central defender but was brought on as a number six against Motherwell.
This is not a new position for the 19-year-old enforcer, though, as he has played five matches as a central or defensive midfielder for Scotland U21s this season.
Clement has clearly seen enough from the 6 foot ace in training, and those appearances for his country, to suggest that it is a viable position for him in the Premiership, as evidenced by his cameo on Sunday.
Sofascore rating
7.1
Pass accuracy
78%
Duel success rate
71%
Tackles won
Two
Interceptions
Three
Blocks
One
King, who was once described as a "big Rolls Royce" by ex-Gers defender Allan Hutton, has the defensive abilities, given his upbringing as a centre-back, to be a terrific holder in front of the back four.
As you can see from the table above, the teenage talent can dominate the opposition midfield with his ability to come out on top in physical duels.
King, who completed 88% of his attempted passes in 15 Premiership games last season, is also reliable in possession and could retain the ball to distribute it to the likes of Cantwell and Dowell ahead of him.
Therefore, Clement must unleash the £8k-per-week titan for his first league start of the campaign ahead of Sterling as the anchor of the midfield.
