Rangers have been handed a Champions League boost as Ianis Hagi was officially left out of Romania’s squad for this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo – with the Ibrox star joining the rest of Steven Gerrard’s squad for pre-season training.
The Olympics clash with Champions League third qualifying round games – the stage Rangers enter at – and with Kemar Roofe and Glen Kamara already suspended, the Gers were worried Hagi could also be missing.
The Rangers number seven played a key role for the Light Blues last season, making 45 appearances, scoring eight times and contributing 15 assists on the way to 55.
After helping Romania secure their place at the Olympics, the Rangers star was expected to represent his country when the Games were due to take place 12 months ago.
The 12-month delay caused by Covid-19 has also led to a number of clubs withdrawing players from their national team’s squad for the Olympics.
Despite the player publicly declaring that he wanted to head to Japan and compete for Olympic gold, Rangers made it clear to Romania’s FA that they didn’t want Hagi involved.
With the Olympics not being recognised as part of FIFA’s international calendar, clubs are under no obligation to release players for the competition.
Hagi could be vital for Rangers in Champions League qualifying
The bans for Kamara and Roofe will leave Rangers missing two vital players in their qualifiers so having Hagi available will be important for Gerrard’s side.
Despite being viewed as something of a luxury player by a section of the Rangers support, Hagi has come up big for the Gers on a number of occassions in the past – and you wouldn’t be against him making the difference in the Champions League qualifiers.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
