Rangers: Andreas Skov Olsen surely set to be axed for Old Firm clash amid Danny Rohl’s damning ‘lazy’ comment

Rangers could be set for major changes in their starting XI when they take on Celtic in the Old Firm derby this weekend.

The Gers were beaten 2-1 away at Hearts in their last outing, a defeat that has left their hopes of securing the Scottish Premiership title hanging by a thread.

However, Danny Rohl’s side still have the incentive of potentially being able to stop their bitter rivals tasting glory yet again, as they head across Glasgow looking to bounce back this weekend.

The boss is likely to ring the changes at Celtic Park to try to shake up his team after a disappointing second half last week, and Andreas Skov Olsen is likely to be at risk of losing his place in the XI.

Rohl spoke on Friday ahead of Rangers’ clash with Celtic, and delivered a damning reflection of the performances of some of his players at Tynecastle last week.

Andreas Skov Olsen surely the target of Danny Rohl dig

Skov Olsen hasn’t had the expected impact at Ibrox after joining on loan from Wolfsburg back in January, as he has scored just once in his opening nine Premiership appearances.

Rohl recalled him to the starting XI for the defeat to Hearts last weekend, but was not rewarded for his decision, as the winger was completely ineffective on the right flank.

The Dane struggled to get into the game during the first half, and was then culpable of switching off in the build-up to the hosts’ equaliser, allowing Stephen Kingsley to fire home after the ball rebounded off the post.

Skov Olsen was the first man to be substituted during that clash, as Rohl was clearly unhappy with the output that he had received from the 26-year-old.

His involvement in the Old Firm this weekend is surely now in doubt, after the boss suggested that some of his players were “too lazy to recover” during the Hearts defeat, as he pointed out that players were “walking” out of possession at times.

Rohl’s frustration was clear in his pre-match press conference on Friday, and it is highly likely that Skov Olsen is one of the targets for his dig, given how eager he was to take him off the pitch last week.

That will surely see Rohl look for another option on the right wing this weekend, with Djeidi Gassama or Thelo Aasgaard likely candidates to come in from the off.

Rangers have surely already decided on Skov Olsen’s future

Football Insider revealed back in March that Rangers would need Champions League football to sign Skov Olsen permanently this summer, but their decision has surely already been made for them.

The Gers have the option to turn his stay at Ibrox into a permanent one for £8million at the end of the season, but that is highly unlikely given his lack of productivity so far.

£8m is a significant outlay for clubs in the Scottish Premiership, and Rohl would surely want a near guarantee that a player would be a game-changer for his team at that kind of price tag.

Skov Olsen has already proven that signing him permanently would be a gamble, and Rangers do not have the level of money needed to sanction gambles at that kind of price.

Their supporters were hugely excited when the club announced his arrival back in January, but his time at Ibrox now looks set to fizzle out in disappointing fashion.

Updated 24/7 with expert analysis from the heart of Govan.