Russell Martin ‘baffles with double selection’ — Rangers starting XI v Panathinaikos
Rangers face Panathinaikos in the Champions League qualifier on Tuesday at Ibrox.
Russell Martin’s team will welcome the Greek outfit to G51 on 22 July for the first leg of the second qualifying round.
The Scottish manager has been handed a few reinforcements this summer who could make their debuts for the Gers at Ibrox against Panathinaikos.
Martin starts Danilo and Kieran Dowell in Rangers v Panathinaikos
Martin has opted to start Danilo and Kieran Dowell in his first competitive game as the Gers manager.
The Ibrox faithful arguably won’t be kind to the Scottish manager if the decision backfires.
Both Danilo and Dowell were rarely seen at the Light Blues last season, with the Brazilian striker consistently injured and the English forward singing for Birmingham City on loan in the winter transfer window.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists | Minutes played |
| 27 | 6 | 4 | 986 |
With both Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane on the bench, the 39-year-old head coach is undoubtedly taking a gamble in what is a must-win fixture.
The Glaswegian outfit travel to Athens on 30 July for the second leg and it won’t be an easy task to get the better of Panathinaikos in Greece.
Ibrox faithful hope for win v Panathinaikos as Martin already under pressure
Martin is already under pressure at Ibrox to prove his worth, with the Gers coming off an underwhelming season.
The Scottish manager has arguably got to start the new campaign on the front foot, with the supporters expecting the Light Blues to make some progress in Europe.
During the Glaswegian outfit’s search for a new manager, the ex-Southampton boss was seemingly behind Davide Ancelotti and Steven Gerrard.
Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises will now hope their decision to hire Martin doesn’t backfire in the coming months.
The Ibrox faithful have grown weary of waiting for managers to solidify their projects in G51 and could arguably be impatient with the Scottish head coach.
A win over Panathinaikos will undoubtedly instil some belief among supporters that the former Saints boss is the right man to lead them.
Only time will tell how Martin will be judged in G51.
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