Allan Saint-Maximin excluded by Fenerbahce in new twist for Rangers showdown
Rangers welcome Fenerbahce to Ibrox on Thursday looking to complete the job in the Europa League.
The Gers fired themselves to an impressive 3-1 victory over Jose Mourinho’s men in Istanbul thanks to Cyriel Dessers’ early strike and a brace from Vaclav Cerny.
Barry Ferguson’s side have put themselves in a strong position to fend off Fenerbahce in the round of 16, and book their spot in this season’s Europa League quarter-finals.
Should the Light Blues progress to the final eight, they will lock horns with either Serie A outfit Roma or Spanish side Bilbao.
Allan Saint-Maximin won’t feature against Rangers as fresh update emerges
Fenerbahce star Allan Saint-Maximin boasts a name which will be familiar among the Ibrox faithful, having previously plied his trade for English Premier League outfit Newcastle.
| Allan Saint-Maximin 2024/25 stats | All competitions |
| Appearances | 26 |
| Goals | 3 |
| Assists | 3 |
He is currently on loan with the Istanbul outfit from Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ahli, and has scored three goals for Mourinho’s side this term.
He featured for 36 minutes during the Gers’ triumph in Turkiye last week, but he will not be gracing the field of play in Glasgow this week.
Yagiz Subuncuoglu, of Sports Digitale, revealed via X that Saint-Maximin has been excluded from the Fenerbahce squad to take on Rangers, which is a decision made by the club’s technical staff.
Rangers fancy their chances of defeating Fenerbahce at Ibrox
Rangers have already put themselves in a favourable position to go on and progress to the Europa League quarter-finals, thanks to their 3-1 win in Istanbul last week.
A draw or even a narrow loss would see them through into the last eight, but Ferguson and co will be looking to put on a show for supporters under the lights at Ibrox.
While the Gers have enjoyed a tremendous Europa League campaign so far, they have endured a woeful domestic season, and sit 16 points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic ahead of Sunday’s Old Firm.
The Light Blues have suffered three defeats on the bounce at Ibrox, including a shock defeat to Championship club Queen’s Park in the Scottish Cup, and a 2-0 league defeat to St Mirren, which prompted the sacking of former boss Philippe Clement.
There is plenty of incentive for Rangers to put on one of their best performances of the campaign so far on Thursday night, and send supporters home happy.