Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has hinted at rotation while previewing both the Europa League clash against Progres Niederkorn and Sunday’s trip to Kilmarnock, as quoted by Rangers.co.uk.
It’s a big few days for the Gers. Their second round qualifying tie still needs plenty of work, but there’s also a need to keep an eye on the weekend for the club’s Scottish Premiership opener.
Consequently, the manager has hinted at some rotation with his team selection.
“I’ll be surprised if both XI’s are exactly the same but I will be picking two very strong teams for both games,” he said, as quoted by Rangers.co.uk. “I think the squad we have got now, if I do make minor changes, I don’t see a big difference, but I will be very surprised if the team is exactly the same.”
“Everyone is knocking on the door. This last three or four days has been very intense in training. People are wanting to start and everyone is pushing which is great for me.”
Verdict
After plenty of mix and matching in pre-season, the time has come for competitive action both in Europe and on the domestic front.
With just a two day gap in between these fixtures, it’s little surprise that Gerrard is hinting at rotation.
Despite the financial pull of the Europa League, when push comes to shove, success in the league has to be the priority this season.
Therefore, the manager is likely to field something close to what he believes is his strongest XI at Rugby Park on Sunday.
This evening in Luxembourg, while Stevie G will be aware that Progres are gunning for another upset, it looks as though there will be tweaks. Regardless, though, we can be sure that the side he fields will be more than capable of seeing the tie through.
