Steven Gerrard explains decision to drop Candeias from Rangers squad

Follow us on Google Discover

Rangers take on St. Joseph’s in the Europa League tonight.

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has told the Glasgow Evening Times that he left Daniel Candeias out of his Europa League squad because of huge competition for places.

The Gers take on Gibraltar’s St Joseph’s in the Europa League tonight, as Rangers play their first qualifying clash in their long road to the group stage.

Rangers beat Oxford United 5-0 in a friendly on Sunday, but one of the goalscorers in that Ibrox victory has surprisingly been left out of the squad travelling to Gibraltar.

Winger Candeias has been left behind, with Rangers needing to leave free spots in their squad as they weren’t able to register enough homegrown players. There have been suggestions that Candeias is actually suspended, but that’s not the case; he served a one-match ban for a red card in the final Europa League group stage game last season.

Gerrard has now commented on the situation, admitting that Candeias won’t be the last big name left out of his squad for Europa League games, as he’s attempting to use his squad well to cope with a busy season.

Gerrard added that he ‘wouldn’t be surprised’ if Candeias is in the squad for the next round if Rangers qualify, and believes he will be very disappointed to be left out.

“Daniel has been left out of this squad but he won’t be the first and he won’t be the last big name to be left out,” said Gerrard. “As the weeks go by I’ll have to make big calls and leave out big players, who are good players, but we hope it’s going to be a 60 game season. I’m not going to make a big thing of it. It’s just way it is. We have big numbers and big squads and big players and competition for places.”

“It’s only normal from week to week that there are changes, who is in and who is out. Daniel is a good player, he played a lot of games for me last year. The same could happen again this year. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is involved in the competition in the next round if we were to progress. Knowing the player, there is always going to be disappointment. I would be more concerned if there wasn’t disappointment,” he added.

Many will now wonder what the future really holds for Candeias. He was a regular for Gerrard last season, and he has a strong connection with James Tavernier down the right flank, and whilst the explanation makes sense, it does bring up the question about his future.

Rangers signed two right-sided wingers this summer, landing Jake Hastie permanently and Sheyi Ojo on loan, which gives Candeias major competition for places – certainly to a level he’s never had before at Ibrox.

Completely ditching Candeias would be a bold step, and an ultimately unlikely one right now. Yet having been left out of the squad, and with two youngsters battling for his spot, we may well see the Portuguese ace gradually phased out of the Rangers starting line-up.