Russell Martin to axe Thelo Aasgaard as 3 return: Rangers predicted XI to face Club Brugge
Rangers face a mammoth task against Club Brugge if they are to come from two goals down to qualify for the league stages of the Champions League.
Russel Martin is under pressure at Rangers, and a shocking defensive display against Club Brugge in the first leg at Ibrox has left the light blues with a mountain to climb in Belgium.
Club Brugge raced into a 3-0 lead inside the first 20 minutes, with a second half Danilo strike reducing the deficit.
Rangers drew 1-1 at St Mirren in the Scottish Premiership in preparation for this clash, and Martin does not have a full squad to choose from after that match.
Three stars set to return for Club Brugge clash
Following the conclusion of the match at St Mirren, Martin admitted that striker Hamza Igamane refused to come off the bench after telling the manager that he was injured.
Rangers will therefore head to Club Brugge without the 22-year-old as he looks certain to leave the Glasgow club before the transfer window shuts.
| Appearances | 49 |
| Goals | 16 |
| Assists | 3 |
Fellow striker Cyriel Dessers may also not feature due to a knee injury which he sustained at Viktoria Plzen in the last qualifying round.
Martin’s experiment of playing Thelo Aasgaard as a striker at St Mirren failed to work out, and the 23-year-old summer arrival from Luton may therefore face dropping to the bench.
Danilo and Mohammed Diomande both started as substitutes last time out and are likely to return to the starting line-up.
James Tavernier has fallen out of favour lately under Martin and is pushing for a recall, whilst Nasser Djiga could replace Emmanuel Fernandez in the back four after missing the trip to Paisley through suspension.
Rangers require perfect performance to topple Club Brugge
Football Insider Verdict
If Rangers have a chance of progressing past Club Brugge, then Martin’s men need to put in their best performance of the season.
So far, Martin has yet to get a perfect performance out of his side, with defensive issues and goalscoring concerns plaguing their progress.
Igamane looks to have played his last match for Rangers, and with Dessers’ injury, the pressure will be on Danilo to convert the chances that come his way.
Jack Butland has been one of Ranger’s most impressive performers this season and the goalkeeper will again need to be at his best to keep the tie alive for as long as possible.
However, if Rangers defend how they did in the first leg then the contest will be over quickly, and with the Glasgow derby against Celtic looming, this could be a defining week for Martin.
Progressing to the league stages of the Champions League will be financially excellent for Rangers, but question marks would arise about if the quality of the squad could compete against Europe’s best.