Rangers forward Cedric Itten could receive a big Europa League opportunity against Lech Poznan on Thursday night, despite picking up a knock against Ross County at the weekend [RangersTV].
The Gers have already qualified for the Round of 32 but are in Poland seeking a victory that would see them finish as Group D winners.
Steven Gerrard has made it clear that he won’t change his entire team for the fixture, but multiple alterations will be made in order to keep key men fresh for the trip to Dundee United in the Premiership on Sunday [Rangers FC Twitter].
The forward line is the area likely to see the most changes, especially given that Alfredo Morelos, Kemar Roofe and Ryan Kent all started against both Standard Liege and the Staggies.
Should one or more of those players be rested, Itten is a prime candidate to come into the starting XI.
The 23-year-old Switzerland international joined the Gers in August from St Gallen for a reported £2.7m [Sky Sports] and has so far been limited to less than 500 minutes of playing time.
He impressed off the bench in Dingwall on Sunday, though, and this would be the perfect time to hand him his first start in the Europa League proper.
Gerrard stated during a press conference on Wednesday that Itten picked up a “kick” against Ross County but that he had “trained with no problems today” [RangersTV].
Therefore, barring any surprise setbacks on Thursday, he should be available to start in Poznan.
Meanwhile, Ryan Jack and Filip Helander, who have both missed several games recently due to injury and Covid-19 respectively, have not travelled to Poland.
Rangers’ opponents won’t be at full strength for Thursday night’s clash either, though, with Lech Poznan set to be without a number of first-team players.
