We reckon the boss will make a raft of changes to keep things fresh for Roma tonight
Danny Rohl is having to learn fast in the Rangers dugout and, with their knockout qualification hopes already hanging by a thread, there’s no room for passengers in his side tonight.
There’s been signs of optimism for the German in the dugout with two league victories, but they’ve been sandwiched in between damaging defeats to Brann and Celtic, and there’s room for improvement.
‘Little steps forward’ have been among the new boss’ buzzwords but there will need to be a sizeable leap in the right direction when Roma step into the building tonight.
Ibrox will be baying for the type of European night the support love to get their teeth into and Rohl will need to show his own gnashers when it comes to his team selection.
He was quick to point to the decisions that went against his team at Hampden but his own players have to take their share of the blame. Youssef Chermiti’s profligacy and Nasser Djiga’s haphazard defending simply can’t be allowed to persist if they want to get a result that would breathe fire into their Europa League campaign.
Rohl admitted there would be changes after that defeat at Hampden.
He showed his ruthlessness when he admitted Lyall Cameron, absent from recent squads, isn’t injured and simply hasn’t been selected, proved he won’t compromise on standards.
“Sometimes it’s hard for some players,” he said yesterday. “It was just about this game, I think it’s always important for my players to understand I pick the squad for the next game and not for the next four weeks.
Danilo has started all three of Rohl’s games so far, but now may be the time to rest him and reshape the forward line.
Chermiti was undeniably poor at Hampden so those two could drop out to allow Bojan Miovski and Djeidi Gassama a crack at making things happen.
Since it’s a UEFA competition, Thelo Aasgaard is available for this one despite his red card at the weekend – but it might just be the game to throw Mikey Moore in from the start after his impact at the weekend.
An entirely new-look forward line could catch the Italians on the back foot.
Connor Barron is back in contention but Mohamed Diomande and Nico Raskin have been the preferred two in midfield.
And the inclusion of Max Aarons may be controversial given his shaky start to life at Ibrox but that would allow James Tavernier to slot into the back three and take Djiga out of the firing line.
