Brian Laudrup picks out Rangers loss from last season that could be crucial as he names star Celtic will go after

Brian Laudrup believes the loss of Calvin Bassey for the first Old Firm clash of the season will be huge for Rangers and insists it’s imperative that James Sands is on his game against Celtic’s fleet-footed frontline. The Danish legend says Bassey’s role was massive in the final two derby clashes as the Light Blues were undefeated, winning the Scottish Cup semi-final clash at Hampden Park after extra time and then earning a 1-1 draw at Parkhead in the final league meeting of the season.

However, Bassey has since moved to Ajax in a big money move and Sands has started the season in the heart of the Rangers rearguard with new boys John Souttar and Ben Davies unavailable while Filip Helander is also still injured. Sands has earned big praise for the way he has grown with his performance in the away Champions League win against PSV Eindhoven the high point as they reached the group stage. But Laudrup, writing in his Scottish Daily Mail column, knows Ange Postecoglou’s fearsome frontline will be a different proposition on the back if slamming nine goals past Dundee United.

Laudrup said: “The Dutchman (Van Bronckhorst)] will also have to compensate for the loss of Calvin Bassey. His breaking out of defence to engage quickly with Celtic’s attacking midfielders, particularly Tom Rogic, was another big aspect in Rangers shifting the needle.

"Bassey was such a powerhouse. And he had both the recovery pace and astuteness to be able to go into areas that hurt Celtic. Now Rangers have James Sands in that centre-back role. He's a different type of player. One who I think has improved, as we certainly saw in Eindhoven. But does he have the attributes and the boldness to really put pressure on Celtic in a similar way?

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