Rangers squad for Champions League v PSV emerges, two players now dropped
Rangers have made two changes to their European squad ahead of their clash with PSV as Ridden Yilmaz and Ianis Hagi make way for Ben Davies and Rabbi Matondo.
The Light Blues face the Dutch side in the first leg of the Champions League play-off match on Tuesday 22 August with the second leg following in the Netherlands, but neither Yilmaz nor Hagi will play a part in the fixture at Ibrox having been dropped from the European squad.
Hagi was vocal in his desire for game time following the Gers’ win over Morton in the Viaplay Cup on Saturday 19 August and it would suggest that Michael Beale doesn’t view his future being at Ibrox following his comments.
The news was relayed by the Heart & Hand Podcast on Twitter on Monday (21 August), with several fans replying in frustration, with one Rangers fan replying: “Player actually comes on, looks for the ball and tries to create things and he’s taken out the squad. What a weird decision.”
Natural progression
While there is naturally some frustration from Rangers fans that a player they have taken on as one of their own appears to have been ousted from the manager’s plans completely out of nowhere, the reality is this is the cut-throat nature of a big transfer window.
Hagi like Fashion Sakala before him is a victim of the sheer amount of incoming business that Beale has completed this transfer window, with an improved level of competition around him, he no longer has an obvious role in the squad.
For Rangers and Beale now, the focus has to be on defeating PSV across the upcoming two legs as if they aren’t successful you can guarantee the finger will be pointed at a decision that even pre-dated his choice of starting XI.
In all likelihood, if the Light Blues win the tie any ill feeling towards Beale will likely dissipate quickly as Champions League football trumps everything and anything at Ibrox, but it does feel as though this could be a bit of a sorry end to the Romanian’s time in Glasgow.
In other Rangers news, one PSV player has refused to be drawn into talks of revenge over the Gers