Arabic version: ماكينيس يدعم فرنانديز قبل نصف نهائي أبردين

According to BBC News, Rangers manager Derek McInnes has defended centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez after criticism of the Nigeria defender following high-profile mistakes, including in Wednesday’s 2-2 Scottish Premiership draw with Hearts at Tynecastle.

Fernandez, 25, has started every Rangers match this season. McInnes said the defender had been a major contributor to the team’s stronger performances and noted that Rangers have kept the most clean sheets in the league so far. He said Wednesday’s result was a collective matter rather than being solely down to Fernandez.

Rangers face Aberdeen at Hampden on Saturday in the Premier Sports Cup semi-finals, having beaten Celtic 3-0 at Ibrox in the quarter-finals. McInnes, who took charge in June, said winning a first trophy would reinforce confidence and belief after Rangers finished the past two seasons without silverware.

Aberdeen’s recent form has made Rangers strong favourites to reach December’s final against either Hearts or Hibernian. However, McInnes said Aberdeen have an experienced manager in Stephen Robinson and players capable of producing a big performance. He added that Rangers would need a strong 90-minute display, while expressing sympathy for Robinson after the Dons lost three of their past four league matches.