Why it should be time for Lowry but not Souttar

There could be a gap between the prudent and probable for both cup final managers.

Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst must have hardly caught a wink since Wednesday’s Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt, turning over the extent to which he should refresh his team for Hampden. The Seville heat, having nothing to show for more than two hours straining every sinew, has to have been utterly draining, physically and mentally, for his players. Two-and-a-bit-days recovery timeappearswoefullyinsufficienttodareconsiderfielding a near-identical XI.

Rangers were creatively-challenged in midweek, and too often struggled to be impactful in the final third. Their Dutch manager should be bold in addressing that, andgivealexlowryhishead. The 18-year-old playmaker possesses the impishness and inventiveness that was cried out for against Frankfurt. Moreover, it was only a week ago he netted against Heartsina3-1winattynecastle. Kemar Roofe may only have been thrown on for the last five minutes in the final, butitstandstoreasonhemust have largely recovered from his recent injury problems to earn even that. He is worth risking when the absence of a genuine striker as a focal point hampered Rangers in midweek.

Inbornabarisicbeingruled out of the Scottish Cup decider, Calvin Bassey, the Ibrox side’s stand-out the other night, surely will be shunted to left-back and Leon Balogun dropped into the central-defensive berth. And, in perhaps a last hurrah, the experience of Steven Davis as a replacement for the toiling Ryan Jack would make sense. The veteran was tidy once assuming such duties in Seville. If Aaron Ramsey is fit, he should be given the chance to atone for his shootout miss that sent the Europa League Frankfurt’s way.

Owing to different reasons, Hearts manager Robbie Neilson faces possibly even more ruminations in deciding his line-up. Recent injury absentees Craig Halkett, John Souttar and Cammy Devlin all weregivenrun-outsinthepremiership-concludinglosslast Saturday. That should result in Halkett being deployed in their back three. Not with Rangers-bound Souttar, though. And not because of hisimminentmove.thescotland international appeared for only 22 minutes. That represents his only senior involvement since March. Liam Boyce – who picked up an injury in the Rangers defeat – is clearly not 100 per cent, having missed a bounce game in midweek. However, his influence on how the Gorgie side functions demands a gamblebetakenonhimtosee him alongside Barrie Mckay inthetwobehindellissimms.