Rangers manager Derek McInnes has revealed that Badredine Bouanani passed his pre-match fitness checks to earn a starting berth for Saturday’s Scottish Premiership showdown against St Johnstone at Ibrox.

The Light Blues host the Perthshire outfit looking to claim all three points following last weekend’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Dundee. While McInnes opted to make just one change to his starting XI – bringing striker Kevin Kelsy in for Djeidi Gassama – Bouanani has kept his place after scoring at Dens Park.

The on-loan VfB Stuttgart winger netted a fine goal during that away fixture, but raised slight injury concerns when he was withdrawn late in the second half due to physical exhaustion.

However, speaking directly to RangersTV ahead of kickoff on Saturday (24 October) after submitting his official team sheet, McInnes confirmed the Algerian international has fully recovered and earned his spot on merit.

McInnes said: “We felt Bouanani really had an impact on the game last week. I think he justified his selection. I thought he was terrific. He took a wee bit of cramp just before we took him off, but I think that’s to be expected. But we felt, looking back at the game, he did a lot of positive things, so he keeps his place.”

The 21-year-old winger’s inclusion provides vital attacking impetus for Rangers as they attempt to dismantle a disciplined St Johnstone side sitting fifth in the table. Bouanani lines up in a dynamic supporting unit alongside Nicolas Raskin and Minsu Kim, offering flair and directness from the wide channels to service Kelsy and Ryan Naderi upfront.

With McInnes demanding a response to last week’s dropped points, Bouanani’s clean bill of health delivers a timely boost for the Ibrox side as they seek to maintain their flawless head-to-head record against the Saints.