Micky Beale has had to axe SIX top earners from his Champions League squad to face Servette next week.
Three stars of the epic 2022 Europa League Final will be watching from the stand next week alongside three of last summer’s duds signed by Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
Last summer Ben Davies, Rabbi Matondo and Tom Lawrence were getting the full Balon d’Or treatment but have been ditched by Beale alongside Kemar Roofe, Fashion Sakala and Glen Kamara.
With Ridvan Yilmaz injured in training it looks like Borna Barisic will have to be selected with no interest from elsewhere in the Croat who is in the final year of his contract.
📝 #RangersFC are delighted to announce the signing of Ben Davies from @LFC on a 4-year contract.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) July 19, 2022
Clubs are allowed to name a 25 man squad for UEFA matches but it must include four players that have been developed by the club and four developed by a member club of the SFA.
Veteran keeper Robbie McCrorie is the only club trained player in the UEFA squad although anyone u-21 can play such as Alex Lowry, Adam Devine and Bailey Rice.
Ryan Jack, John Souttar and Scott Wright count as SFA trained with Beale left to add just 17 more players.
All nine summer signings are included leaving just eight places to be filled by serial losers like James Tavernier, Connor Goldson, Borna Barisic and John Lundstram alongside the January golden boys- Todd Cantwell and Nico Raskin.
Before he can concentrate on facing Sevette, Beale has to take his squad to the plastic pitch at Kilmarnock tomorrow reliant on his UEFA squad.
Sakala is believed to be in Saudi Arabia discussing a move while Yilmaz is injured meaning that Barisic will be charging up the astro before facing a demanding European tie.
It looks like the visitors will field an all new front line with the likelihood being that the entire midfield and forward line will have been signed by Beale during his two transfer windows in charge.
Ditching Davies for Leon Balogun is about as big a slap in the face as the former Preston defender could get.
With three years still to run on his contract his wages are safe but it is unlikely that any club will be willing to match his Ibrox terms and shell out a transfer fee for someone behind Balogun and Matondo for a game in Europe.
Beale will be anxious to have Goldson back to face Servette but so far the former Shrewsbury starlet hasn’t played since being injured in May.
John Souttar is the most likely defensive partnership but with the injury record of the former Hearts defender it is best not to plan to far in advance.
Between the two matches against Servette Beale’s side host Livingston at Ibrox, if they come through on aggregate they are likely to face Marseille or PSV Eindhoven. The squad can be changed between rounds.
After a 1-1 home draw and 2-2 result in Belgium, Sevette went through to the Third Round on penalties.
