Rangers are preparing to play Lech Poznan as Steven Gerrard’s side look to build on their impressive opening day 2-0 win over Standard Liege in Belgium in the Europa League.
This will be the club’s first home game of the Europa League group stages and Ibrox Stadium will certainly feel like a strange place on a European night without the usual 50,000 fans.
Lech Poznan kicked off their Europa League campaign against group favourites Benfica, losing 4-2 on home soil after coming all the way from the first qualifying round to make the competition proper.
Lech defeated Latvian side Valmieras, Swedes Hammarby, Cypriots Apollon and Belgian side Charleroi to make the tournament and enter the group as fourth seeds.
Managed by Polish coach Dariusz Żuraw, Lech come into this match on poor domestic form with their two wins, three draws and two defeats seeing them languish in 10th place in the Polish Ekstraklasa.
They warmed up for the match with Rangers with a 1-1 draw with Cracovia at home, Muhammed Awad rescuing a point for Lech with four minutes to play.
Rangers will go into this tie favourites but have been warned by Lech defender Lubomir Satka that the Poles are coming to play “good, attacking football” at Ibrox.
At the time of writing, Rangers are close to their full complement with only Borna Barisic and Brandon Barker doubts for the game and long-term absentee Nikola Katic ruled out.
Rangers can earn up to £500k with a win from this game but with a tough tie on the horizon against Kilmarnock some may think Steven Gerrard could see this as an opportunity to rest key stars.
However, after changing five players for the routine 2-0 win over Livingston at the weekend we should expect a number of key stars to return to the side for this one.
At the moment such is the competition and form within the squad Steven Gerrard will be having a headache picking an XI, let alone us.
Bongani Zungu is also set to return after a quarantine following his move from France but whilst we may see him on the bench, it’s unlikely he’ll start.
The Gers will scarcely get a better opportunity to rotate in Europe so we expect some changes namely the experienced Steven Davis and impressive £7m man Ryan Kent to drop out with this perhaps an opportunity to start those two on the bench.
All in all, there are four changes from the team which beat Livingston, with Glen Kamara, Scott Arfield, Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe coming in for Steven Davis, Joe Aribo, Jermain Defoe and Ryan Kent.
Rangers have impressed on the European stage under Steven Gerrard and the Ibrox gaffer will be taking nothing for granted as he looks to make it six points from six in the Europa League.
We expect him to be smart with his selection and perhaps rest a few stars whilst presenting an opportunity to some of those who’ve shown flashes of quality in recent weeks.
Here’s how we think the Gers will line up at Ibrox:
