Rangers take on Porto away from home – but Ibrox star Alfredo Morelos isn’t guaranteed a start.
Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has told the Daily Record that he thinks Alfredo Morelos could have a fascinating battle with Pepe tomorrow – if he plays.
The Gers drew 1-1 at Hearts on Sunday afternoon, and now return to Europa League action on Thursday night with a trip to Portugal.
Rangers have so far beaten Feyenoord at Ibrox and lost to Young Boys in Switzerland, but now face their biggest test of the campaign to date.
Rangers head to take on Porto at the Estadio do Dragao on Thursday night, and face a really tough challenge against Sergio Conceicao’s side.
Gerrard can at least take heart from Rangers earning a 2-2 draw away at Villarreal last season, and a repeat performance would be a major boost.
One potentially match-defining battle could take place between Rangers striker Morelos and Porto centre back Pepe, two players known for their short fuses over the years.
The pair will no doubt be trying to wind each other up and get the other one in trouble, but Gerrard wouldn’t actually confirm Morelos will play when asked about them battling each other.
Gerrard only talked about the battle in the context of ‘if’ Morelos is picked to play, meaning Rangers’ best player may not actually be chosen ahead of Jermain Defoe, though Gerrard does think it could be a fascinating night for the Colombian if he does play against Pepe.
“If Alfredo is selected to play it will be a fascinating battle because Pepe has been a world class player throughout his career. He’s hugely decorated and I have a lot of respect for him, Alfredo is in a good place at the moment and will be looking forward to playing, but there will be a lot of key battles across the pitch. This has to bring out the best in our players.”
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