Injuries to Rangers first-teamers Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe will allow new signing Antonio Colak the chance to deliver on a £40m Champions League promise.
The big Croatian forward, 28, is just in the door at Ibrox and fans are already familiar with the striker after a deadly Malmo double dashed the Gers’ Champions League hopes last season.
But now Colak is out in the press claiming that he wants to make up for breaking Ibrox hearts last season by delivering Champions League football and that reported £40m group stage prize pot this campaign.
“I hope I can make it happen,” said Colak [National].
“It was the first full stadium after Covid I think and I remember the game so well.
“It was an amazing atmosphere, of course at the end they were a little bit down. But I hope in my time here I can heat them up again.
“I want to experience this crazy atmosphere and I am really looking forward to the push from the fans. I hope we can celebrate a lot of goals and a lot of wins together.
“You see how strong this group is already. If it wasn’t an amazing group then they wouldn’t have gone all the way to the Europa League Final.
“We just have to keep that same team spirit and build on last season.
“I will try and bring my best for the team because it’s important that we are all successful.
“You saw last season that it is so important to be on point in these matches.
“These games start at the beginning of the season and you don’t have too much season experience.
“When you play the qualification matches you have to be ready, it is one of our big targets this season, we want to go to the group stage and win titles. For this we have to fight hard.”
Antonio Colak to get chance to prove himself with Rangers
The big striker will almost certainly get the chance to prove himself given that Colombian firebrand Alfredo Morelos remains out on the sidelines and Kemar Roofe has picked up another knock.
Manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst confirmed last week that Morelos is yet to join back in full sessions with the first-team after a knock on Colombia duty ruled him out of the final few months of last season [Rangers Review].
If that devastating blow wasn’t enough, the overuse of Kemar Roofe saw the Jamaican international pick up a knock and after initially recovering the forward is back on the treatment table.
It’s sparked much debate regarding the striker’s long-term suitability at Ibrox.
But amid all of this it is a huge opportunity for Antonio Colak to make an early mark on Rangers and the Ibrox support with those Champions League qualifiers looming large.
If the big forward can fire the club to the bright lights of the group stages then we reckon it will go some way to etching him into Rangers folklore like the Croatian strikers of the past.
Meanwhile, Rangers have reportedly landed an early-season double-blow on Old Firm rivals Celtic before a ball has been kicked.