Gio van Bronckhorst is praying Alfredo Morelos can trip to Rangers’ rescue as he confirmed the Ibrox talisman is in rivalry for subsequent week’s do-or-die showdown with Union Saint-Gilloise.
The Ibrox aspect’s Champions League possibilities have been left hanging by a thread after ragged Rangers had been blown away in Leuven by the Belgian shock troops. Gers had been pressured to begin with summer season signing Antonio Colak up entrance with Morelos nonetheless not again as much as full pace after tearing a thigh muscle again in March.
John Souttar and Ryan Kent additionally each did not make the aircraft to Belgium after choosing up knocks towards Livingston on Saturday. Van Bronckhorst, nevertheless, is hopeful Kent can be able to play some half in subsequent week’s salvage mission. And he expects to have his Colombian ace match and firing too as Gers search to over-turn their 2-0 deficit at Ibrox. “Yeah I feel that’s reasonable,” stated the Dutchman when quizzed on whether or not Morelos can be match sufficient to characteristic.
“He’s been coaching with us for fairly a while and is getting higher and sharper on daily basis. We additionally had him within the UEFA checklist for this spherical so hopefully he'll proceed and can be there subsequent week.”
It was an terrible show from the Europa League finalists simply 76 days on from their brush with immortality in Seville. It obtained off to a woeful begin when Jon McLaughlin let house skipper Teddy Teuma’s rasping drive slip by means of his fingers.
A controversial penalty award allowed Dante Vanzeir to place the Union two-up in Flanders. However van Bronckhorst reckons his aspect have McLaughlin to thank for the actual fact they're nonetheless within the tie after he made a courageous block to stop Vanzeir killing off the third-qualifying spherical late on.
The Scotland squad keeper has been handed the gloves for the primary two video games of the season, with final yr’s No.1 Allan McGregor left on the bench. There are already some followers rethinking requires McLaughlin to be named Gers’ first-choice stopper however GVB insists he’s standing by the 34-year-old.
Requested if he nonetheless had religion within the keeper, van Bronckhorst stated: “He's beginning. So there’s your reply. In fact 3-0 it could have been an even bigger job for us.
“It's two objectives distinction, nonetheless the second sport to be performed and I’m positive the efficiency can be completely different subsequent week. We're taking part in towards a very good opponent, in the event you see their final two years it is sort of a fairy story and they're persevering with their fairy story.
“I wish to be there with my gamers and the membership competing for the Champions League group stage. That’s our purpose and what we wish to overturn subsequent week, however not the way in which we performed on Tuesday.”
Van Bronckhorst additionally criticised the choice to award Union a spot-kick after VAR alerted Bosnian ref Irfan Peljto to replays displaying the ball placing Connor Goldson’s hand within the field. However the essential name left the puzzled Ibrox boss given Teuma’s strike had bounced up in the direction of the defender’s arm after taking a deflection off Ben Davies.
He stated: “In the course of the sport, it went so quick that I missed it. However I noticed the referee ready and knew one thing had occurred. When it went straight to VAR I knew it needed to be a penalty resolution, sure or no. When the referee goes to the display screen then VAR thinks it’s a penalty. However I don’t know what the principles are. It seems like a very low cost penalty to me. I don’t know what we might have performed. We attempt to block the shot, the ball rolls away from objective and hits Connor off the leg of Ben from possibly half a yard.
“I don’t know what the principles are but it surely’s price us the second objective. That’s not in my affect. I can't have an effect on the choice of VAR. It’s a giant event with lots at stake for lots of golf equipment. You'd anticipate they take the correct selections however I’m extra involved at the moment with the efficiency we had as a staff. That’s my focus. What we now have to do now's go 90 minutes and attempt to flip it round subsequent week.”
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