Liege manager delivers verdict on selection crisis ahead of clash v Rangers
Standard Liege boss Philippe Montanier says he will take confidence from his league rival’s Champions League result when his side to take on Rangers in the Europa League.
Liege will be without several first-team players when they take on Rangers, due to a coronavirus outbreak within the squad.
But Montanier says he will take confidence from fellow Belgian side Club Brugge, who similarly had players missing due to COVID-19 when they beat Zenit St Petersburg in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference, the Daily Record report that Montanier said, “The example of Club Brugge is a good example. The Brugeois left without three starters at Zenit and they won. It is a good omen.
“We would have preferred to have the absent players with us but, as always, it is the group which we have at present which will have to make up for the absentees.”
Liege played Brugge at the weekend with the sides drawing 1-1, but the positive COVID-19 tests from the Brugge camp came after the game.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard will have quite the opposite problem when he is picking his side as he has reported a clean bill of health before the game, with the exception of long-term absentee Nikola Katic.
Joe Aribo and Kemar Roofe will be available after missing several weeks of football and these returning players will give Gerrard a selection headache. It would be harsh to drop anyone who started against Celtic, but the Gers boss will be wary of the upcoming schedule and knows he will need to rotate players.
The Light Blues are approaching a run of games that could define their season. They face the challenge of European progression while trying to pull further away from Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership. But as they now have a large and talented squad to choose from, Gerrard should be able to keep up the Gers’ unbeaten record both domestically and in Europe.
In other Rangers news, Kemar Roofe has spoken about the similarities between his current boss and Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa.