Michael Beale has confirmed a huge boost for Rangers with the confirmation Nicolas Raskin is fit, and has trained fine all week.

This is a game-changer, make no mistake, and means the Belgian is certain to start tomorrow, meaning Rangers have a massive chunk of pace in the middle, compared with John Lundstram’s sluggishness.

Raskin and fellow January addition Todd Cantwell have been massive hits since arriving, and their place on the bench for the final was viewed as a huge reason the side did not really lay a glove on the winners Celtic, so for Raskin to be fit for this one after all is a gigantic boost in the arm and if Michael Beale still does not start the pair for this trip to Parkhead, we may start to truly question if he’s the right man for the job.

We would take a half fit Raskin over Lundstram at present, Raskin’s pace, tenacity, drive and sheer workrate is exactly what Rangers need in the middle at such a venue, with Celtic having power and zippiness in the middle to say the least.

With their being filled with Oriental-based players, their whole team is built around pace, and Rangers having Lundstram and Jack or Kamara in the middle was a 3-0 loss before the match even began.

But Raskin is quick, he’s nimble, he’s strong, and he’s got a low centre of gravity; he’s a technically superior Rino Gattuso and he’s a better player all round, in truth, and he’s faster as well.

And Rino was a legend of a player for Milan, as it ended up being, after his Rangers and Salernitana days.

Raskin? Has to start. If he’s not in the XI to start, or if Cantwell isn’t, then we might as well give up and go home before we even arrive.

No, Raskin and Cantwell are the level we need to move forward, players of their standard who want to be at Rangers, as opposed to the likes of Kamara and Morelos who couldn’t get away quick enough.

If either of those latter names are on the starting XI we’ll be staggered.