Frank McAvennie has now dropped a bold Glasgow Rangers claim on Aaron Ramsey ahead of the Old Firm derby at Sunday lunchtime.

The Lowdown: Initial worry

Ramsey was initially an injury worry for the derby, as Wales interim head coach Rob Page revealed that he struggled towards the end of their 2-1 FIFA World Cup qualifying win over Austria.

[web_stories_embed url="https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/rangers-news-2/" title="Rangers news!" poster="" width="360" height="600" align="none"]

However, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has now confirmed in his pre-game press conference that he returned back to Ibrox fit, meaning that he should be in contention to play a part against Celtic.

The Latest: Will he start?

Speaking to Football Insider, former Scottish Premiership striker McAvennie has claimed that Ramsey will now start, given that he has proved his fitness:

“He’s an experienced boy, he’s played against the best. They are hoping he’s ready.

“It was always going to take him a while to get up to fitness. He showed in the last game how good he is.

“Is he up there with Laudrup and Gazza? No. But he’s a damn good player and he’s proven that.

“He played well against Austria so he’s coming into this game in good form.

“Rangers have a decent midfield but if Ramsey is fit I imagine he will start.

“If he’s on it, he can play a big part in this game and I’m sure he wants to play in an Old Firm game at Ibrox as a Rangers player.”

The Verdict: Bold

It would be bold from van Bronckhorst to start Ramsey against the Hoops, given his initial injury problems.

They already have a plethora of options in the centre of midfield, and so the 31-year-old may not be risked from the beginning.

However, having played in big games at the likes of Arsenal and Juventus, the Dutch manager may want to consider starting him given his experience and quality, in what looks set to be a pivotal fixture in the SPFL title race.

Nonetheless, van Bronckhorst will certainly weigh up his options, but you wonder whether it would be best to see the Wales star for the last 30 minutes, when a touch of calm and class will be needed in the frantic closing stages.

In other news, find out what Andrew Dickson heard from Glasgow about one injured Gers star here!