View: 86% Rangers ace makes starting XI statement after what he did last night

Mohamed Diomande has been a regular feature for Rangers after having his stay made permanent at the start of the summer transfer window.

The midfielder has mostly been used as a defensive midfielder but Philippe Clement has also used him in other areas across the centre of the park.

He’s been a solid player for the Gers this term despite having a poor showing every now and then.

Diomande didn’t start the game against Sierra Leone for Ivory Coast on Tuesday (15 October) but he was brought on in the 46th minute to replace the injured Franck Kessie.

Mohamed Diomande should retain his starting spot for Rangers

The 22-year-old couldn’t stop his country from losing 1-0 to their African rivals but his impact on the game was still made known.

As per Sofascore, in the 44 minutes he played, Diomande maintained a pass accuracy of 86 per cent and had 20 touches of the ball.

Defensively, however, is where the Gers’ anchor proved his worth

He won two of the three ground duels he attempted and only lost possession of the ball six times.

This may seem like a lot but as the defensive-minded midfielder within the team, Diomande was bound to lose the ball on numerous occasions.

The Ivory Coast international didn’t commit any fouls in the clash but he was fouled on two occasions which shows how involved he was in the game.

It’s clear that his most comfortable role is in defensive midfield and his performance for Emerse Fae’s team proved why Clement should continue to start him each week.

Diomande has also formed a solid partnership with Connor Barron and his good form seems to be rubbing off on the young Scotsman, especially since he was just called up to Scotland’s senior squad for their most recent international fixtures.

There’s still plenty of time for things to change of course but after his recent international performances, there doesn’t seem to be a need for the midfielder to be dropped from Clement’s starting XI any time soon.

In other Rangers news, Tom English has dropped a one-word verdict on the international performance of John Souttar against Portugal.

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