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Rangers v Sparta Prague – Roofe and Aribo drop to bench, predicted XI

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Hopefully, the performance against Dundee was just a blip, and that what we saw for the first hour against Motherwell and the second half against Livingston are signs that we are returning to a similar level to last year.

If it isn’t, we can’t expect to get much against a Sparta Prague side that battered Celtic in the group stages last year, an aggregate score of 8-2 painting an accurate picture of a side that carries a substantial threat to our hopes of qualifying for the knockout rounds.

We have more players available than at most points during an injury/Covid-19/suspension hit season, however, there are still key players in the shape of Connor Goldson, Filip Helander, Ryan Jack and Ryan Kent missing from the starting XI.

With Jack Simpson not in the Europa League squad, there is only really one option at the heart of the defence following the vice-captain’s latest of late withdrawals, a problem we could really have done without ahead of such a big game – and that’s without looking ahead to the weekend’s fixture too.

Steven Gerrard also has a headache in midfield but for a different reason. Steven Davis would normally be considered to be one of the first names on the team sheet, and yet, in the last two games, John Lundstram has probably been our best player.

He also has a decision to make in attack now that he has a few more options, his selection likely to point to what tactics we are looking to employ.

With this in mind, this is the team that I think the gaffer will go with to get us up and running in Group A:

It might be controversial but, there is no reason to rotate Allan McGregor back in, it doesn’t help anyone to keep changing the goalkeeper and Jon McLaughlin is the man in possession of the jersey – a period of consistency could help to settle the defence.

In midfield, it’s a tough call, but I think that Lundstram has shown that he can be trusted now and can offer the same sort of protection that Jack does on the right-hand side in European football, Joe Aribo is also in need of a rest, he can’t keep playing every game if he is to be at his creative best.

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Rangers went toe-to-toe with Inter Milan to sign Ronaldo when he left Barcelona.

Fashion Sakala has looked sharper with every appearance and his pace could be a real asset on the counter attack – with a new defence, we might sit deeper – it also gives Gerrard the chance to rotate Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe ahead of some big domestic fixtures, in Kent’s absence, Ianis Hagi should be trusted to provide the attacking spark, with freedom to move between the lines, he’ll also get more space than he normally gets against packed Scottish defences.

The first game against Lyon was about the performance, this is about the result, if we are passive, we could get punished, let’s hope we see the Rangers that we all know is capable of turning up.

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