Major Rangers v Hearts team call, Celtic transfer talked up, free agent chase - Scottish football news

Schwolow pushing for Ibrox debut

Hearts are considering handing a debut to German goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow against Rangers on Saturday.

Schwolow, 33, penned a two-year deal with Hearts last month as head coach Derek McInnes moved to strengthen his options in that area of the team. The former Union Berlin stopper is competing with current No 1 Zander Clark and veteran Scotland keeper Craig Gordon, who is back to full fitness.

Speaking to the Edinburgh Evening News, McInnes said: “Goalkeeping was an area we felt needed strengthened. There was no real clarity about when Craig was going to be fit and then Ryan Fulton gets injured. We just felt we needed to bring in another goalkeeper.

“Alexander is good with his feet, he's a good communicator and moves about his goal well. Craig is stepping up his work, Zander is back in amongst things after being away with Scotland and we've also got Alexander, so I've got decisions to make ahead of Saturday. All three goalies are at different stages.”

Dundee eye free transfers

Steven Pressley will continue monitoring the free-agent market with a view to strengthening his Dundee squad.

The Dark Blues added Yan Dhanda, Cameron Congreve and Ethan Hamilton last month, but there were no further additions in the closing days of the transfer window. After a testing start to the campaign, however, Pressley is still open to adding to his squad if a suitable player becomes available.

“We are,” he said when asked at his media briefing on Thursday if he was still assessing the market. “But at this point there’s nothing that has stood out to us or makes us think that that would be the right choice.

“So there’s no real progression around that, but we are looking at it at present.”

No major changes at Tannadice

Jim Goodwin will look to tweak rather than make wholesale changes to his Dundee United squad next summer.

The Tannadice boss made 14 new additions to his group before the transfer window closed. However, ahead of Saturday’s visit to Hibs in the William Hill Premiership, Goodwin, who signed a new 12-month rolling contract on Wednesday, spoke about less turnover next year.

“What we’ve had to do over the last couple of seasons in terms of the rebuilding of the squad, that’s been a real challenge for us,” he said. “I suppose, in terms of the volume of players that we had to bring in and going forward, you would hope that you’re not going to be doing 14 players again next summer.

“I think the signings that we’ve made, they’re all players that we believe have got room for improvement and future development, obviously, and in the future it’s just about adding to that.”

McGlynn sets the benchmark

John McGlynn wants newly-promoted Falkirk to emulate Saturday’s opponents St Mirren by establishing themselves as a Premiership club.

The Buddies are in their eighth consecutive campaign in the top flight and have finished in the top six in each of the past three years under Stephen Robinson.

Bairns boss McGlynn said: “St Mirren are the benchmark as a football club for us. They got promoted in 2017/18 and they’ve been in the league ever since. In that time they’ve been able to grow the football club, they’ve got a great youth system going. They’ve got their own training ground that’s probably been built on a little bit over the years with more money, and that’s exactly where we want to be.

“Obviously the manager has got top six the last three seasons and got them into Europe. If we can be in the Premiership seven years from now, then this football club will be in an amazing place, so they are the benchmark.”

Motherwell glad to have Welsh

Motherwell manager Jens Berthel Askou is pleased to have Stephen Welsh available after the Celtic defender signed a year-long loan deal at the end of the transfer window.

The centre-half could make his debut for the Steelmen on Saturday when they take on Dundee at Dens Park on Saturday in the Premiership.

On Welsh, Askou said: “He will add quality and his experience from a high level, from a big club. He’s a good age where he’s still young and eager to learn and to develop, but he’s also picked up a lot of experience already from high-tempo, high-level games.

“And we see a player who is very hungry to play and make a difference. He’s a very good character around the dressing room and who has quality. So he will add quality for sure to the team and more competition at the back.”