Derek McInnes reckons the absence of Joe Aribo will be keenly felt when Rangers visit Aberdeen.
The former Dons boss reckons the Ibrox side will have enough to cover for the Nigeria international. - currently competing at the AFCON - in other fixtures but suspects he will be a real miss at Pittodrie on Tuesday.
McInnes, now back in Scottish football with Kilmarnock, named Aribo as his Premiership player of the season so far before the winter break and believes he's improved even further under Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
He says the 24-year-old is "tailor made" for a "blood and thunder" fixture and suspects it could be a problem for the reigning champions.
McInnes wrote in the Mail on Sunday: "This one will be blood and thunder from the start and I can tell you it never really lets up.
"It's a game for big players and I do think the absence of Joe Aribo, currently competing for Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations, will be a miss for Rangers.
"When the league broke, I named Aribo as the Premiership's best player in the first half of the season and, if anything, he has got even better since the change of manager.
"Rather than playing as a midfield receiver, he has been given license to go and make runs beyond. He is running into grass behind defences and that's made him very hard to contain.
"But he has other attributes that would make him tailor-made for this match. There are certain games where physicality is important, a lot of fouls and set-plays.
"You need players capable of standing up to that and so size and power is important.
"Aribo has that and, while Rangers will manage to get by without him in other games, his influence might be missed this week."
