The Glasgow Rangers player has barely featured since the Portuguese took charge.
It is fair to say that Rangers player Michael O’Halloran has not had the best of times since moving to Ibrox, with a return of three goals and six assists in 37 appearances to date.
But despite those struggles, an oft-discussed dismissal against Motherwell and some minor injuries, does the 26-year-old deserve a chance to show what he can do from the outset in what remains of this campaign.
New Rangers boss Pedro Caixinha has only used O’Halloran sparingly to date, and whatever he has seen in training it has clearly not impressed him enough to rethink his starting XI thus far. But with little left to play for this season – and with the Gers players that have started recently not exactly pulling up trees – surely a start is the least the winger deserves.
While O’Halloran has under-performed this season, the vast majority of his appearances have come late in the second half, rarely allowing him the chance to play his way into the game.
Now Caixinha has the chance to start him and see what he can do from the outset against the likes of Partick Thistle, Hearts and St Johnstone.
He may still fall short, but at least he could not complain about a lack of opportunities.
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