Derek McInnes is set to take charge of his first competitive match as Rangers manager from the dugout on Friday night away to Dundee United, despite being handed a ban by the Scottish FA last week, according to Sky Sports.
McInnes was issued with a four-match sanction after comments made in May while he was Hearts boss, but Rangers are preparing an appeal that would allow him to remain in the technical area until a hearing takes place.
Why McInnes can be on the touchline for Rangers’ opener
Sky Sports reports Rangers are set to lodge their appeal on Tuesday or Wednesday at the latest, ahead of Friday’s deadline. The key practical consequence is that the appeal process is understood to pause the immediate effect of the touchline ban until a hearing is scheduled, meaning McInnes can be in the dugout for the season opener.
The match itself is Rangers’ first league fixture of the 2026/27 campaign, away to Dundee United, and will be live on Sky Sports with an 8pm kick-off.
Infographic-style match and discipline facts
Fixture: Dundee United vs Rangers
Competition: Scottish Premiership
Date/Time (as reported): Friday, 8pm
UK TV (verified): Sky Sports (live)
Disciplinary rule cited: SFA Disciplinary Rule 72
Sanction (as reported): Four matches (with one match suspended until end of season unless further breach)
The comments behind the SFA ban and Rangers’ response
McInnes’ ban stems from remarks made during the closing stages of last season, when he criticised the decision to award Celtic a late match-winning penalty at Motherwell, describing it as “disgusting” as the title race “took another twist”, per Sky Sports.
The Scottish FA found McInnes guilty of breaching Disciplinary Rule 72, which forbids people from publicly criticising decisions and/or criticising the performance of match officials “in such a way as to indicate bias or incompetence”. The punishment was set to cover his first three matches, with a fourth match suspended until the end of the campaign unless he breaches the regulations again, Sky Sports added.
McInnes told Sky Sports last weekend he was “very disappointed” by the verdict and that he “didn’t think the punishment fitted the crime”.
Rangers, in a club statement carried by Sky Sports, confirmed they would appeal and argued the comments were aimed at the decision rather than the officials’ integrity or competence.
“We do not believe Derek’s view on a match-defining decision amounted to an attack on the competence or integrity of match officials.”
Rangers also said McInnes’ remarks were “directed at the decision” and that, “considered fairly and in context”, his comments did not allege “bias, incompetence or dishonesty”. The club further pointed to the SFA’s independent Key Match Incident Panel’s subsequent view that the referee’s original decision was correct and that VAR should not have intervened, according to the same statement reported by Sky Sports.
In the statement, Rangers also raised questions around consistency of disciplinary action in Scottish football, and framed their appeal as a broader point about scrutiny and accountability alongside respect for officials.
What happens next — and Rangers’ early-season schedule
The immediate next step is the appeal being formally lodged, which Sky Sports expects to happen in the next 48 hours. After that, the focus shifts to when a hearing is set and whether the original sanction is upheld, reduced or otherwise amended.
For Rangers, the timing matters: the opening weeks of a league season can quickly set tone and momentum, and having a new manager on the touchline — particularly for the first competitive match — is a meaningful difference in preparation, in-game management and messaging.
Sky Sports also listed Rangers’ opening league fixtures, beginning with Friday’s trip to Dundee United and including a September trip to Celtic that is also scheduled for live Sky Sports coverage.
- July 31: Dundee United (A) – 8pm, live on Sky Sports
- August 9: Hibernian (H) – 4pm
- August 22: St Mirren (H) – 3pm
- August 29: Aberdeen (A) – 3pm
- September 2: Falkirk (A) – 7.45pm
- September 5: Motherwell (H) – 3pm
- September 20: Celtic (A) – 12pm, live on Sky Sports
How to watch Dundee United vs Rangers
UK/Republic of Ireland: The match is live on Sky Sports, as reported by Sky Sports.
Other territories: Broadcast and official streaming listings are not confirmed in the provided source material.
For more details, see the original report from Sky Sports.