Rangers are preparing to return to action after the international break, carrying enormous momentum into Saturday’s home meeting with Kilmarnock. Manager Derek McInnes oversaw a sensational six-match winning streak across all competitions prior to the pause, transforming the mood around Ibrox following a shaky opening to the campaign.

​The highlight of that turnaround came via back-to-back derby triumphs over arch-rivals Celtic. Rangers dismantled their city foes 3-0 in the League Cup at Ibrox before snatching a 1-0 league victory at Parkhead a week later courtesy of a Ryan Naderi winner. That run has closed the gap at the summit of the Scottish Premiership to just two points. A win against Kilmarnock would send McInnes’s men top, putting pressure on Martin O’Neill’s Celtic ahead of their Sunday trip to Motherwell.

​While Kilmarnock sit bottom of the table, their recent form demands respect. Unbeaten in three league matches after holding Aberdeen and Hearts alongside an away win at Hibernian, the visitors will attempt to disrupt Rangers’ rhythm. McInnes will lean heavily on the defensive pairing of Olwethu Makhanya and Emmanuel Fernandez, who have established a dominant partnership that kept consecutive clean sheets against Celtic.

​Even with defensive solidity on the pitch, Rangers are already laying the groundwork for the January transfer window. According to reports from Pete O’Rourke at Football Insider, the club is set to rekindle its pursuit of Excelsior centre-back Casper Widell.

​The 23-year-old Swedish defender was close to completing a transfer to Glasgow over the summer. While negotiations advanced well and the player showed strong enthusiasm for the switch, the deal ultimately fell through because Rangers could not offload unwanted defender John Souttar.

​Despite the summer disappointment, Widell remains keen on a switch to Ibrox when the market reopens. His contractual situation in the Netherlands strengthens Rangers’ bargaining position. Widell’s current deal with Excelsior runs out next summer, leaving the Dutch club with a final realistic opportunity to secure a transfer fee in January rather than lose him on a free transfer. Standing tall, commanding in the air, and comfortable on the ball, the right-sided defender would add valuable depth and youth to McInnes’s backline.

​Any progress on incoming transfers hinges on resolving Souttar’s future. The Scotland international has been completely frozen out of first-team plans under McInnes. A proposed summer transfer to Greece collapsed late in the window, stranding him at Ibrox without a clear path back onto the pitch.

​Rangers remain eager to find an exit route for the veteran defender in January. Offloading his wages and freeing up a squad spot is viewed as the primary trigger required to sanction a fresh approach for Widell. Moving on a surplus asset in exchange for an ambitious, developing talent appears to be the logical strategy as McInnes continues rebuilding the squad for a sustained title charge.