Give visiting Rangers 'a tough game', McInnes urges Kilmarnock players

Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes has urged his players to give visiting Rangers ‘a tough game’ as they visit Rugby Park on Sunday.

Killie beat Rangers on the opening day of last season and a late win against Dundee, when they came from two goals down, has added confidence ahead of the Rugby Park clash.

McInnes pointed out that, besides a loss to St Johnstone after a red card, Kilmarnock are unbeaten at home out with the Old Firm.

“That’s including Brugge, Copenhagen and Tromso,” he added, “We are traditionally a strong home team. We’ll take any sort of positive thoughts and stats going into this type of game.

“I think any team when they come here, you hear opposition managers say it all the time, it’s a tough game.

“That pleases me no end, to be honest. The fact that people do recognise we’re a strong team at home.

“It’s important that we give Rangers exactly that, a tough game. I expect us to do that”.

McInnes expects midfielder David Watson to feature despite withdrawing from Scotland Under-21 duty with a shoulder problem.

“Stuart Findlay’s back training,” he said, “Davie Watson’s had a wee shoulder issue going on. He took an injection to play at Dundee.

“We’re just trying to manage that situation with him. It’s an injury where if he gets contact on it, it can flare up again. He’s managed to do a bit of work since coming back from Scotland.

“Liam Polworth is going to miss the game as well. He missed the Dundee game as well with a calf injury. It became a wee bit more than we thought it was”.

McInnes added that he expected the midfielder to be either in the running for their forthcoming game against Ross County or the match after that.