Rangers will be asked by the Romanian FA over whether they will release Ibrox star Ianis Hagi for this summer’s Olympic Games in Japan, according to a prominent journalist.
According to Emanuel Roşu, the Gers will have to make a decision over whether to allow Hagi to go to the Games and likely miss out on the start of the Gers’ Champions League qualifying campaign.
Steven Gerrard’s side kick off their bid for a place in the Champions League groups on the same day as the Olympic semi-finals, but with Hagi potentially missing out on several weeks of pre-season with the Gers, they may opt to keep him in Scotland.
The Olympics get underway in mid-July in Japan but clubs aren’t obliged to release their players, unlike usual international dates.
With Rangers already without Kemar Roofe and Glen Kamara for the opening games in the Champions League, losing Hagi would be a big blow.
The Romanians are due to face New Zealand, South Korea and Honduras in the group stage.
Last time a Rangers player appeared at the Olympics, then-captain Craig Moore was stripped of the armband after going against the club’s wishes to turn out for Australia in 2004.
Moore missed a number of league games and the first leg of the Champions League qualifier against CSKA Moscow to represent the Socceroos in Athens.
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