Team news and stats forward of Antwerp vs Rangers within the Europa League final 32 on Thursday; kick-off 8pm.
Team news
Rangers could have Alfredo Morelos and fellow striker Kemar Roofe again after their home suspensions.
Bongani Zungu, Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey, younger goalkeeper Brian Kinnear, and his fellow academy participant Dapo Mebude, on mortgage at Queen of the South, have been informed to isolate after breaking lockdown laws on the weekend.
Zungu, Patterson and Bassey have been principally used as back-ups this season however would have been within the Gers group for the primary leg of the Europa League last-32 tie towards Royal Antwerp in Belgium on Thursday evening.
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Defender Leon Balogun and Roofe are each only one reserving away from a European suspension, which might see them miss the second leg.
Antwerp boss Franky Vercauteren is with out a number of first-team gamers with prime goalscorer Dieumerci Mbokani, who has missed the final 4 weeks with a calf harm, essentially the most notable absentee.
Dylan Batubinsika, Jean Butez (each ankle), Faris Haroun and Matheus (each calf) have been dominated out.
Didier Lamkel Ze is suspended for the primary leg. Uruguayan ahead Felipe Avenatti, who signed on mortgage from Standard Liege final month, is predicted to begin upfront.
How to comply with
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What can Rangers anticipate from Antwerp?
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The supervisor: Franky Vercauteren is not any stranger to European success as a participant, successful the European Cup Winners’ Cup twice, the UEFA Cup and two European Super Cups with Anderlecht. He was additionally a key member of the Belgium squad that reached the 1986 World Cup semi-finals.
The 56-year-old was appointed in early January. He has beforehand managed a lot of golf equipment in Belgium together with Anderlecht and had an interim spell accountable for his nationwide team in 2009.
Form information: Antwerp have received six out of 10 matches since their managerial change with their most up-to-date recreation a 1-1 draw with Liege on Sunday, which left them second within the league, 13 factors adrift of Club Brugge. Antwerp completed a degree behind Tottenham within the group stage however did beat Spurs at residence. They completed on 12 factors, forward of LASK and Ludogorets.
European pedigree: Antwerp ended a 25-year exile from European competitors final season however went out on the Europa League play-off stage towards AZ Alkmaar. Their greatest season by far in Europe was in 1992-93 once they obtained to the Cup Winners’ Cup last earlier than dropping to Parma. They have twice confronted Scottish golf equipment, struggling a 7-2 thrashing by Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in 1966 however inflicting a 4-0 UEFA Cup defeat on Dundee United in Belgium in 1990, somewhat over two years after Jim McLean’s aspect had reached the ultimate.
Opta stats
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- Royal Antwerp will face Rangers for the primary time in European competitors – they’ve misplaced three of their earlier 4 video games towards Scottish opponents (W1), beating Dundee United 4-0 at residence within the 1989/90 UEFA Cup.
- Rangers have already defeated Belgian opposition twice this season, beating Standard Liège twice throughout the group levels. In their eight matches towards sides from Belgium they’ve misplaced solely as soon as – away to Standard Liège within the 1961/62 European Cup quarter-final.
- This is Royal Antwerp’s first match within the knockout levels of a significant European competitors since they misplaced 2-10 on combination to Newcastle United within the 1994/95 UEFA Cup first spherical.
- Rangers have solely misplaced the primary leg of a significant European knockout tie as soon as of their final 9 such fixtures, although this was final time out within the UEFA Europa League final 16 final season versus Bayer Leverkusen.
- Rangers left-back Borna Barisic has assisted three objectives within the UEFA Europa League this season, the joint-most of any defender together with Lech Poznan’s Tymoteusz Puchacz.