Kris Boyd worried as ‘big Rangers problem’ emerges v Athletic Bilbao
Rangers face Athletic Club in the Europa League on Thursday, with Kris Boyd concerned ahead of the tie at Ibrox.
Ernesto Valverde’s team will travel to Ibrox on 10 April for the first leg of the quarter-final, with the reverse fixture to be played in Bilbao on 17 April.
Barry Ferguson’s team lost 2-0 to Hibernian at home in their recent fixture, and the interim boss will have his work cut out against the La Liga outfit.
The 47-year-old head coach will have some tough decisions to make come Thursday, but he could potentially be facing a selection dilemma going into the fixture.
John Souttar suspension a worry for Rangers v Athletic
John Souttar’s unavailability will be a big problem for the Light Blues against Athletic, Boyd says.
The ex-Gers star is worried about the Glaswegian outfit’s prospects as the Scottish centre-back is suspended for the tie.
| Competition (2024/25) | Appearances |
| Scottish Premiership | 19 |
| Europa League | 9 |
| Scottish Cup | 1 |
| Premier Sports Cup | 3 |
Souttar picked up his third yellow card in the European competition against Fenerbahce at Ibrox, leaving the Bears without him for the game against the Spanish outfit.
Speaking on Go Ballistic (7 April), Roger Hannah said: “There’s no Souttar on Thursday night. He’s suspended.”
Boyd responded: “Big problem.”
Ferguson forced into defensive changes v Athletic
Ferguson’s change in system at Ibrox has seen him opt for five defenders at the back, with Dujon Sterling, Souttar and Leon Balogun in the centre.
The interim boss changed it up for the Hibernian fixture, but the change backfired, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Gers revert to playing three centre-backs against Athletic.
It will be interesting to see who replaces Souttar, though, with James Tavernier capable of playing centrally and Ridvan Yilmaz moving to right back.
Rangers also have Robin Propper and Leon Balogun, who could start alongside Sterling in defence.
Mohamed Diomande will also be missing for the Glaswegian outfit on Thursday, leaving them without some of their crucial players for a crutch tie.
The Europa League is Ferguson’s only hope of salvaging the season, but it’ll be challenging for the Bears to get past Valverde’s team.
Considering the Gers’ recent performances, the Ibrox faithful can be excused for fearing the worst against Athletic.
There will be hope among some supporters that the Light Blues will turn up for the European tie, as they have done all season.