Rangers are just one step away from moving into the main draws of the Europa League. The Gers under the tutelage of Steven Gerrard have come quite far, and the improvement can be ascertained from the fact that last season, they had lost in the first qualifying round under Graeme Murty. On the final hurdle, they will have to beat Russian outfit FC Ufa, and they should be well prepared to take them on at Ibrox for the first leg.
The Teddy Bears will fancy their chances as the Russian outfit are off to a bad start in the Russian Premier League where they currently sit on the 10th spot with 4 points in four games.
The Gers have so far gone past Shkupi, NK Osijek and Maribor with Maribor being the toughest opponents. Rangers would want to keep a clean sheet at home, and their defence has been watertight for the most parts under Steven Gerrard.
Team News
Graham Dorrans, Lee Wallace and Jordan Rossiter are expected to be out of this encounter as they are still recovering from their injuries. Lassana Coulibaly had missed the last game due to a knock, and it is yet not clear whether he would be fit in time for this game. Winger Jamie Murphy would going to be a big miss as he went out with a knee injury in the last match against Kilmarnock which prompted Gerrard to lambast the use of artificial turf. The manager himself admitted that his squad would be a ‘bit thin‘ for this all-important encounter against Ufa.
4-3-3 Rangers Predicted Lineup Vs FC Ufa
Formation (4-3-3)
Defence
Gerrard has managed to turn their biggest weakness into a strength by resurrecting the defence. The back four of Jon Flanagan, Nikola Katic, Connor Goldson and James Tavernier looks solid, and they are all expected to start once again. The back four seems to have forged a good understanding, and the boss would be hoping for another commanding performance from the back.
Midfield
Ryan Jack would be expected to start after he missed the last few games due to a concussion. His job would be to keep things tight in midfield and also to provide a base for his side’s attack. The experienced Scott Arfield and the young Ovie Ejaria will partner him in midfield, and they will form the engine of the team.
Attack
With Jamie Murphy injured, young Ryan Kent would be expected to start with experienced Daniel Candeias playing out from the wide region down the right. Alfredo Morelos would be feeling confident going into this game as he is coming on the back of a hattrick and he should lead the line for the Gers.
