Philippe Clement to axe Jefte ahead of Rangers v Lyon

Philippe Clement to axe Jefte ahead of Rangers v Lyon despite Hibernian display

Senior Correspondent AUTHORITY Senior football journalist specialising in refereeing and officiating; former contributor to The Football League Paper, Late Tackle, and the Premier League; University of Derby graduate. FOCUS Refereeing controversies, football finance and governance, PGMOL decisions, and officiating analysis across the Premier League, EFL, and SPFL. THE INSIGHT Harri utilises a network of officiating and industry contacts to deliver verified, expert analysis of refereeing decisions and PGMOL policy. He provides the regulatory clarity behind the controversy to ensure fans get the full picture.

Published on:

30 Sep 2024, 4:10 am

Philippe Clement has a difficult decision to make at left-back after Jefte impressed in Rangers' 1-0 win over Hibernian on Sunday (29 September).

The Brazilian full-back has stepped up in a major way since Ridvan Yilmaz's injury, putting in solid performances against Ross County, Dundee United and Hibs.

However, the Gers' next match is against French giants Lyon in the Europa League, which is a whole different animal for a player who has limited experience in European competitions.

The 20-year-old was suspended for the clash against Malmo on Thursday 26 September, having been sent off against Dynamo Kyiv in a Champions League qualifier, and it could be a similar story versus Lyon.

Given Clement's first choice was unavailable, new signing Neraysho Kasanwirjo was given an opportunity to impress and he took that chance with both hands, with fans surprised to see him dropped afterwards.

Philippe Clement to axe Jefte ahead of Rangers v Lyon?

While Kasanwirjo struggled to make it during his time with Feyenoord, he was still able to play at a similar level to the Scottish Premiership with Groningen in the Eredivisie [Sofascore].

Ligue 1 is, of course, even higher up the league rankings, so Clement needs players who have experience at the top levels when the Gers welcome Lyon to Ibrox on Thursday 3 October.

Jefte has been impressing consistently for the first time since arriving in Scotland this summer, but the manager still has a very difficult decision to make before the European clash.

Even Kris Boyd has given the player plaudits, lauding his "unbelievable" crosses into the box.

Rangers ace Neraysho Kasanwirjo [Credit: Imago]

Given Kasanwirjo's ability to play anywhere across the backline, and Lyon having some very threatening attacking players, his adaptability could see him utilised in a back-three despite Jefte's bright display recently.

It may seem extremely harsh on the Brazilian but Clement needs to keep his backline as defensively sound as possible against Lyon, so Jefte may have to deal with being dropped.

In other Rangers news, David Edgar has raised concerns despite a "very good" win v Malmo

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Rangers

Philippe Clement

Jefte

Neraysho Kasanwirjo