Breaking News: Major Blow for Rangers as Key Midfielder Ruled Out of Crucial Europa League Clash against Real Betis
Nicolas Raskin, along with Todd Cantwell and Danilo, will be absent from Rangers' Europa League opener against Real Betis at Ibrox Stay updated on the thrilling action with Sky Sports
Nicolas Raskin will not be available for Rangers' Europa League group opener against Real Betis. The 22-year-old midfielder was absent from Wednesday's training session due to a calf injury. Manager Michael Beale has confirmed that Raskin will be sidelined until after the October international break.
Raskin will be absent from Thursday night's match against the Spanish club at Ibrox due to a calf problem. Cantwell and Danilo will also be unavailable.
"We have alternative choices in midfield despite losing a valuable player. We have promising replacements joining us.
The injuries sustained by Cantwell, Raskin, and Danilo are far from ideal. However, we anticipate Kieran Dowell's return following the Livingston game."
"We have young players from our academy who are poised to seize opportunities in the upcoming domestic games.
"Jose Cifuentes, despite joining the team late, has been given several chances to showcase his abilities in previous matches. However, he has encountered some unfortunate circumstances. The new players have been with us for a sufficient period and are now fully prepared to contribute."
Danilo suffered a fractured cheekbone and had to be substituted after he scored Rangers' first goal against St Johnstone. However, the manager is anticipating that the striker will return sooner than initially anticipated.
"The surgery on Danilo's affected areas was successful. He is expected to resume non-contact training at the conclusion of the international break," the manager further stated.
Rangers fell to the Europa League following their defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League play-off. Beale is resolute in his goal of making a significant impression.
"We will approach each game individually, with the aim of progressing from the group stage and reaching the knockout phases. After that, we will assess our performance," he stated.
"It's a competitive group, but we're expecting to get out of it.
"The level is high in this competition and your team gets exposed to things, hopefully it raises the level of our team and players.
"It's important we have a good season in Europe."
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Rangers lost to PSV in their Champions League play-off
Real Betis returns to Glasgow for the second time in two years as Manuel Pellegrini leads them once again. Last time, in 2021, the team suffered a 3-2 defeat against Celtic. Speaking about Pellegrini, Beale admires his seniority and extensive career, having coached some of the world's top clubs.
"He is currently part of a prominent club, which happens to be a formidable team. They had an undefeated run last year in their [Europa League] group, emerging victorious.
"We must perform exceptionally well. In our previous two home matches [in Europe], we managed to net four goals against Servette and PSV, and yet, we sensed the possibility of scoring even more in those games."
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