Rangers kept their first Premiership clean sheet in six matches on Sunday, edging out St Mirren 1–0 in Paisley to maintain contact with the top two.
The victory at the SMISA Stadium again featured the central defensive partnership of Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga.
This is a pairing that has quietly begun to give Rangers a defensive platform.
Djiga returning solidity
Djiga retained his place after starting the Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic, a match that ended goalless before Rangers exited on penalties.
That appearance marked his return to the starting XI after three consecutive matches on the bench, having initially been dropped in favour of the returning John Souttar.
It has been an intriguing turnaround.
Rock-solid partnership
The Burkina Faso international looked commanding in his earliest appearances during Rangers Champions League qualifying campaign.
He however, quickly fell out of favour during the latter weeks of Russell Martin’s tenure.
A series of shaky moments saw him labelled a liability by a majority of the Ibrox support.
Under Danny Rohl, however, Djiga has been restored recently and the difference has been noticeable.
Against St Mirren he again formed a composed, aggressive partnership with Fernandez, helping Rangers secure their first clean-sheet victory since the back-to-back wins over Dundee and Queen’s Park more than a month earlier.
Both matches in which Djiga also started.
Even in defeat to Celtic in the cup, Rohl was quick to praise his defensive unit.
“I have great centre-backs available at the moment,” he said after the match.
“I think everyone is ready. For me, Nasser played an outstanding game. Both of them were strong.
“They won every one-on-one duel. We could play a high line because they are very quick and also calm on the ball.”
The upside of Nasser Djiga
That last point is crucial.
Rohl’s system demands defenders who can defend space, step forward aggressively and remain comfortable in possession when Rangers push their defensive line high.
Djiga’s athleticism and composure suit those demands perfectly.
This raises a bigger question for Rangers recruitment team.
Djiga arrived on loan from Wolves, who paid around £10 million for the defender just over a year ago.
The English club are now looking increasingly likely to suffer Premier League relegation.
Their squad could be reshaped significantly this summer.
If Wolves are forced into trimming wages or moving on recent signings, Djiga could become attainable, potentially at a fee below what they paid.
For Rangers, it would represent a rare opportunity.
At 23, Djiga already offers pace, physical presence and clear development potential.
More importantly, his recent performances suggest he may be exactly the kind of defender Rohl needs if Rangers are to build a side capable of sustaining a genuine title challenge.
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The statistics from Rangers defensive performances help illustrate just how influential Djiga has become.
In his 15 Premiership starts, the defender has been part of a side that has recorded seven clean sheets. By comparison, John Souttar has managed five clean sheets across 21 league starts.
The contrast is even clearer when looking at goals conceded.
Rangers have allowed just nine goals with Djiga on the pitch.
That figure rises sharply to 19 when Souttar has been involved.
This includes the damaging 2–2 draw away to Livingston in which he was at fault for both set-pieces that lead to goals.
Sunday’s victory over St Mirren, which delivered Rangers first Premiership clean sheet in six matches, again came with Djiga anchoring the defence alongside Emmanuel Fernandez.
His reintroduction to the side has coincided with a noticeable improvement in defensive stability.
With Wolves facing an uncertain future and almost-certain relegation from the Premier League, Rangers may soon be able turn a successful loan spell into a permanent deal.
The evidence is increasingly suggesting that it is one they should seriously consider.
