Russell Martin to hand out three competitive Rangers debuts v Panathinaikos
Rangers are hours away from their first competitive match in the Russell Martin era.
The former Southampton boss certainly has a point to prove after he partially oversaw what can only be described as a trainwreck of a Premier League season for the Saints before he was sacked in December.
Whilst Martin’s free-flowing style of football did not suit a relegation battle, Rangers could find it suits them perfectly, given the amount of quality they possess in comparison to the majority of the Scottish Premiership.
Qualifying for the Champions League would be a significant first step in the right direction for Martin at Ibrox, helping to silence any potential doubts about his appointment within the fan base.
First up, a second qualifying round first leg against Panathinaikos at Ibrox on Tuesday.
Three players to make competitive Rangers debut
Martin has been backed tremendously by the 49ers and Andrew Cavenagh so far in the transfer window, ahead of his first game in the Champions League against Panathinaikos.
Of Martin’s eight new arrivals so far, only three look set to start in the second round of Champions League qualifying tonight.
The Scottish Daily Mail has reported in its print edition (22 July, pg 71) that Max Aarons, Nasser Djiga and Joe Rothwell look to be the three new faces in line for their competitive debuts.
Thelo Aasgaard was not spotted in training on Monday (21 July), effectively ruling the Norwegian playmaker out of starting the big European clash through injury.
Supporters of the Light Blues will hope that Aarons and Co. can come into the team and make an immediate impact, with the full-back already featuring in their 2-2 draw against Club Brugge.
Rangers must capitalise on home advantage in the first leg
Martin’s side are lucky to have the home advantage in the first leg against Panathinaikos, with the Gers set to travel to Greece for the return leg on 30 July.
Getting off to a good start in the tie will be crucial if Rangers want to secure their place in Europe’s premier competition and the pot of gold that comes along with it.
Supporters may be frustrated that free agent targets like Jamie Vardy have not been brought in before the first leg against Panathinaikos.
The former England international’s experience and goalscoring ability would have been useful qualities for Martin to have at his disposal before a game of this magnitude.
With Cyriel Dessers, Hamza Igamane and Djeidi Gassama to come off the bench though, there should be more than enough firepower.
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