Rangers produced a dominant 4-0 victory over St Johnstone on a wet day in Perth, with Kim Min-su playing a central role in the first three goals despite not scoring himself.
The win came as Derek McInnes admitted he faces a "juggling act" keeping his fringe players involved, a task that may become harder once his injury list clears.
Injury Returns Could Complicate Team Selection
Youssef Chermiti, Lawrence Shankland, Cammy Devlin, Daisuke Yokota and Ross McCausland have all been sidelined with knocks, simplifying team selection in recent weeks. However, four of the five are bidding to be fit for December's Premier Sports Cup final, should Rangers make it that far.
That could force McInnes to find minutes for his big names, but the weekend display suggested the starting line-up is picking itself. The team named to face St Johnstone was the one supporters have been calling for, and their demands were vindicated as the hosts were blown away.
Kim Min-su at the Heart of Rangers' Attack
Kim, shifted out to the left wing in place of Djeidi Gassama, was the central character on the day. His reverse pass sent Ryan Naderi in behind the Saints defence, with Naderi squaring for Kevin Kelsy to open the scoring. Kim then saw a shot bounce back off the upright before his drive was spilled by Toby Steward at Naderi's feet for the second.
His corner delivery, flicked on by Manny Fernandez, fell for Kelsy to add the third, ahead of Tochi Chuckwuani's late fourth, teed up by substitute Gassama.
Rangers were only one-up at the break despite carving out a series of chances, and St Johnstone briefly threatened after the interval through a Josh Fowler opportunity. But the visitors quickly quelled the fightback.
Striking Partnership Flourishes
McInnes said he will not be able to please everyone, but the front pairing of Naderi and Kelsy is flourishing, with 11 goals between them and Kelsy netting four in his last five. Naderi had looked lost leading the line alone at Dens Park last week, but alongside his South American sidekick, Rangers appear to have a proper pairing.
That could raise questions over club captain Shankland's return from hamstring surgery, though McInnes may conclude the new partnership makes the decision easier.
Tuur Rommens, meanwhile, hopes to force the boss to choose between him and James Penrice. The Belgian, who returned as a second-half substitute against Saints after a groin injury in August kept him out for almost three months, praised Penrice's performances in his absence.
Rommens said: "It feels good, especially after such a long injury. It's nice to be back on the pitch and to get a win. James has done well. I think the whole team did well. I think it's good to have competition in a team like Rangers because with 11 players you cannot win a championship. We need more than 11 players and I think he did very good."
