Antman to make debut – Rangers predicted XI v Viktoria Plzen after Martin update
Rangers face a crucial game at Ibrox as they will take on Czech side Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League.
This is the first of a two-legged qualifying round tie as Rangers aim to reach the league phase of the competition.
Russell Martin has had a tough start to his tenure in Ibrox, and is already facing heat after his side drew their first Scottish Premiership game at Motherwell.
Martin publicly slammed his players after the game, and is now set to make changes to his side, with new signing Oliver Antman potentially coming in.
Rangers to make two changes for Viktoria Plzen tie
Martin has experimented with Kieran Dowell as a right-winger so far, but this simply needs to end as his performances have been well below par.
He has also faced difficulty upfront, with strikers Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane both linked with exits, but the former may have to come back in now.
- Igamane was absent from the squad against Motherwell, while Dessers came off the bench for half an hour.
- Martin hinted at a lack of professionalism from some of the exit-linked players in his squad.
Since the Motherwell game, both Mikey Moore and Antman have joined, but the Tottenham loanee is not yet available for the clash.
Antman could be ready to go, though, with Martin confirming at his pre-match press conference on Monday (4 August) that the Gers are waiting to hear back from UEFA.
It has initially been thought Antman has no chance of featuring due to the timing of the deal.
Antman could therefore now be thrown straight into the action to replace Dowell, while Dessers could replace Danilo upfront despite a transfer bid being made for the striker.
James Tavernier will continue at right-back, while Joe Rothwell was a rare positive against Motherwell with a promising display, and Djeidi Gassama will hope to continue his bright start.
Rangers new predicted XI: Butland, Tavernier, Djiga, Souttar, Aarons, Rothwell, Diomande, Raskin, Antman, Gassama, Dessers.
Rangers eventually need more changes
Martin’s public attack on his squad may have meant that in an ideal world, he would have made wholesale changes to his team, rather than two almost enforced ones.
However, Martin’s hands are pretty tied right now, with Moore yet to be eligible, Thelo Aasgaard injured and no new striker arriving yet.
While a lot of players have joined this summer, Rangers are yet to clear out most of the squad which underperformed last season, and the same problems will continue to arise until the starting XI contains mostly new players.
Martin’s tactics and substitutions were questionable against Motherwell, and he will have to improve on this regard if he is to lead Rangers to the next qualifying round of the Champions League.
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