Michael Beale swerves Celtic focus as Rangers boss issues Livingston pledge to build Viaplay Cup 'momentum'

Michael Beale insists he won’t be keeping any of his key men in reserve for Hampden as the Rangers boss vowed to send out his strongest team at Livingston.

The Londoner’s side head to the Tony Macaroni Arena today as the Ibrox faithful cast an eye towards next Sunday's Viaplay Cup final clash with Celtic. It could be a tricky selection for Beale, who has injury worries in midfield with John Lundstram, Nico Raskin and Ryan Jack all nursing knocks, while defensive linchpin Connor Goldson is also a doubt.

But Beale has dismissed the notion could rest his main men against Livi to keep them fresh as they go in search of this season’s first piece of domestic silverware. He said: “I don’t want to think about the game after this game, only Saturday’s game. I’m not a coach who does that. I only think about the game in front of you because you can’t pick a team for a week’s time - that doesn’t work.

“You want to keep the momentum. Whatever happens with the result this week we need to win next week either way because it’s a cup final and I will deal with that team probably Thursday or Friday, the back end of next week. As it stands right now the midfield is my biggest concern for this weekend because that’s the area where we have a few issues.”

Beale - who has negotiated his first 13 games in charge at Ibrox without suffering defeat - is reluctant to tempt his team’s luck by sending out a second string to face Davie Martindale’s Livi outfit. But that doesn’t mean he will risk returning ace Ianis Hagi on the Almondvale astro.

He said: “Prior injuries for sure (come into my thinking). Ianis Hagi has never had a problem playing on an artificial surface but he has just returned from an ACL so we have to be realistic there.”

Today’s