ENERGY BOOST

Caixinha’s men have to dig deep to see off Thistle But Alves and John are now Old Firm doubts

PEDRO CAIXINHA saw his Rangers side dig deep into their reserves of energy and courage last night to force their way into the semi-finals of the Betfred Cup.

But the extra-time victory came at a cost, with experienced defender Bruno Alves limping off with a calf injury and Declan John, in for the already absent Lee Wallace, succumbing to a thigh problem.

Both will give Caixinha cause for concern ahead of Saturday’s encounter with Celtic at Ibrox.

After Carlos Pena had given

Rangers a second-half lead with a header, Caixinha had hoped his side could see out the game in normal time Kris Doolan’s well-taken finish in the last minute sent the game into extra time, however, and piled pressure on to the Rangers manager Yet it was in the additional half hour that Rangers came into their own and knocked the wind out of Thistle’s sails Daniel Candeias rifled the visitors into the lead with a smart finish before Eduardo Herrera, a substitute for Alfredo Morelos at the start of extra time, put the match beyond Thistle The result is a massive boost for Rangers ahead of Saturday’s derby with Celtic, although the sight of Alves leaving the field with a calf injury is a significant worry John, who performed well in what was his first start, is also an injury headache after he limped off in the second half with a thigh problem Caixinha admitted after the match that both players would be assessed and tested today Meanwhile, Craig Thomson will take charge of Saturday’s encounter between Rangers and Celtic