As Rangers’ domestic downturn promises a season of disappointment on home soil, it’s had plenty asking Giovanni van Bronckhorst to test young charges like Alex Lowry in the coming weeks.
There has been an emotional response from some sectors after the Old Firm defeat to Celtic which, to many, signals the end of the club’s Scottish Premiership defence.
As a result, fans want some of the first-teamers who they feel have either let the club down in the last few weeks or are working a ticket to get out of Ibrox, dropped for the club’s youngest talents.
But a defiant Giovanni van Bronckhorst has rejected the notion that he’d ever do this by claiming that his side will fight to the very end and he’ll be playing a full strength team whenever he can.
“We just go out in every game and try to win it with the best possible and strongest team we have. We’re still in all competitions,” said van Bronckhorst [Rangers].
“Of course the league is going to be more difficult now but we have to keep going so there’s no chance I will play a weakened team on Sunday.
“The focus now is on Braga and then after that we switch back to St Mirren.”
Rangers talent Alex Lowry unavailable at the moment
One of the fan favourites to get a run in the team is young Scottish talent Alex Lowry, the teenage midfielder having impressed after breaking through this season.
Some of this is also aimed in frustration amid the downturn in form of Joe Aribo, who has looked a shadow of himself in recent weeks.
Addressing a high-profile injury to Alfredo Morelos, Rangers boss van Bronckhorst confirmed that this could not be the case due to the fact Alex Lowry is also unavailable.
“Obviously, we don’t have Morelos, we don’t have Hagi, we don’t have Lowry – he’s also not available,” said van Bronckhorst.
“So we just pick a game plan and try to execute it as well as possible.”
It’s clear that until everything is mathematically impossible, there will be no let up from within the Rangers camp or from Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Rangers are also eyeing an impressive £10.8m jackpot should they manage to overcome Braga in the Europa League.
