One of the key decisions for Gio van Bronckhorst tonight against Union Saint-Gilloise will be his choice at left back, either Borna Barisic or Ridvan Yilmaz.
The tried and tested or the great new hope?
It will be a big call and one that has to pay off given what is on the line tonight in the Champions League third round qualifier against the Belgian side.
On Saturday against Killie, the young Turkish international was replaced around the hour mark by the more experienced but ultimately unpredictable and inconsistent Croatian. Now, Gio, the team, the fans, everyone needs the players to be firing on all cylinders with a fast, high tempo start required at Ibrox.
That will include activity and incision from both flanks, an aspect that was sadly posted missing last week in Leuven.
The manager told the press conference after Saturday’s win over Kilmarnock:
“Ridvan is one of the players who hasn’t been with us long. With all the experiences he has had this week it’s quite big for him because it’s his first game at home.”
“He will need a little bit more time to adjust to our play style but it’s important we give him minutes as well to get his first game at Ibrox.”
Balance
James Tavernier will assume responsibility to lead his team tonight, just as he has done so many times on the European stage. The essence of familiarity could see Scott Wright retain his place in front of the skipper, given the understanding that is already in place there. On the other side, we wait to find out if Ryan Kent is fit otherwise Tom Lawrence or Malik Tillman are likely to play off the left. This will also impact the choice at left-back with the return of Kent possibly supporting the inclusion of former Besiktas man, Yilmaz.
With Ibrox set to be jumping in a fervent frenzy to cheer Rangers through to the Playoff round, that could well work as the perfect launchpad to propel the Ibrox career of the talented young Turk.