Antwerp left red-faced after latest development in striker saga ahead of Rangers EL clash
Royal Antwerp have been left embarrassed after discovering that their controversial striker Lamkel Ze is ineligible to face Rangers in the first leg of their Europa League clash.
Ze hit the headlines at the start of the year after turning up at their training ground in an Anderlecht shirt to protest his displeasure at being denied a move to Panathinaikos and being refused entry by security.
He was forced into a public climbdown and ushered back into the first-team picture while being named in their Europa League squad for the rest of the campaign after his exclusion from the initial list.
However the Daily Record report that Antwerp have been left stunned by news from UEFA that he will be unavailable for the home leg of their Rangers tie through suspension.
The Cameroon international was actually sent-off in a 4-1 defeat to AZ Alkmaar during a Europa League play-off tie in August 2019 and has yet to serve his one-match suspension.
As he was not named in the squad for the group stage the six games that Antwerp played cannot be counted towards the ban so Ze will only be able to play in the return fixture at Ibrox on February 25.
All good over this side
The picture is a bit rosier at Rangers.
Steven Gerrard’s side have kept up momentum by winning ten out of a possible 12 matches since the conclusion of their group stage campaign in the Europa League.
They face two lowly Premiership teams in Hamilton Academical and Kilmarnock before taking Antwerp to task in Belgium on February 18.
There could be some changes seen in these games with the title all-but wrapped up and Gerrard eyeing a run to the latter stages of Europe in what would really crown a terrific season.
In contrast to Antwerp’s striker shortage the Gers will have two of their most feared forwards badgering for a return to the starting XI after suffering suspensions of their own.
Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe have both been hit by SFA charges for challenges made on the field and they will miss the Kilmarnock game prior to Antwerp, unless Roofe’s ban is appealed and proves successful.
That means they should be fresh and raring to go against their Belgian counterparts and with six goals between them in this competition already this season the signs look ominous for Antwerp.
In other Rangers news, see our exclusive interview with Alex McLeish on what he thinks the Gers will do next after Roofe’s SFA ban.