Glasgow Rangers winger Glenn Middleton must be in contention to feature for the Ibrox side on Thursday.
It is, of course, absolutely no secret that Glenn Middleton is the most exciting youngster that Steven Gerrard currently has at his disposal at Rangers. And he is starting to establish himself as a regular fixture in Gerrard’s matchday squads.
Middleton is continuing to learn his trade in the first-team, but he is improving at a rapid rate. So it is no surprise that the teenager was amongst the squad that travelled to Russia ahead of Thursday’s crucial Europa League tie with Spartak Moscow.
In an ideal world, Gerrard would probably prefer to use Middleton as an impact substitute rather than hand him a start. But perhaps circumstances hint that the 18-year-old could be a contender for a starting spot at Otkritie Arena.
In comments reported by Sky Sports, Gerrard has confirmed that Ryan Kent has not travelled due to a hamstring injury. Not having Kent in the ranks is a major blow.
Eros Grezda and Daniel Candeias may perhaps be the obvious choices to start on the two flanks, but Middleton starting cannot be considered a major surprise if it happens either.
And if it does, perhaps Thursday could go down as the real breakout performance for Middleton given the stakes.
Rangers could put one foot in the knockout stages of the competition, and Middleton has the potential and quality to be a real wildcard. He is potentially not a player that Spartak Moscow would have done a lot of research on.
If he does get an opportunity to make his first European start, it should not be a huge surprise if he puts in the kind of performance that sticks in Rangers fans’ mind for a long time.
Middleton’s potential is not a secret to the Ibrox faithful. But perhaps given Kent’s injury, there is a chance that after Thursday, much of Europe will suddenly become aware just how exciting Rangers’ most talented teenager really is.
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