Rangers will be without influential striker Kemar Roofe for the Champions League clash with Napoli – because the striker is not registered for the competition this season.
The Gers have been boosted by the return of the 29-year-old hitman, who joined on a reported £3.5m fee from Belgian side Anderlecht in the summer of 2020.
Unfortunately, Kemar Roofe’s Rangers career has been blighted by injury and the player is only playing again this season having been on the treatment table since the Europa League Final in May.
Making his return in the League Cup victory over Dundee, seeing Kemar Roofe back on the Ibrox pitch was a welcome sight for Rangers fans but they will not be seeing the player against Napoli.
This is because Giovanni van Bronckhorst did not include the ex-Leeds United striker in Rangers’ Champions League group stage squad this season.
Kemar Roofe not registered for Rangers’ trip to Napoli
Rangers have something of a bloated squad in certain areas and due to tricky squad registration rules around homegrown players certain members of the first team were always going to miss out.
The obvious move was to target those players who were carrying injuries and given Kemar Roofe was crocked at the time Rangers drew Liverpool, Napoli and Ajax in their first Champions League campaign in 12 years, his exclusion initially made sense.
But now the player has returned ahead of schedule and Rangers won’t be able to use him for the trip to face Luciano Spalletti’s form Serie A leaders.
That’s despite the fact the likes of Connor Goldson, John Souttar and Ryan Jack are officially registered in the Champions League squad but are currently ruled out through injury.
Meanwhile, Rangers are looking at a potential overhaul of up to eight key players this summer as questions persist about the club’s squad management.