Time for Rangers boss Steven Gerrard to recall Nikola Katic

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Ibrox side Glasgow Rangers have a big Europa League game this week, and Joe Worrall should be dropped.

Rangers defender Joe Worrall would be wise to avoid searching his name on Twitter.

The 21-year-old centre-back was savaged by quite a few Rangers fans for his performance in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat by Livingston.

The reception was so scathing, in fact, that you wonder whether his confidence could plummet if he were to stumble across the post-match reaction.

It wasn’t a brilliant afternoon for Worrall, who joined the Gers on a season-long loan from Nottingham Forest, but his performance might well benefit Nikola Katic.

The Croatian centre-back, a £2 million signing in the summer, was surprisingly omitted from Steven Gerrard’s first XI, having also missed out against Villarreal last month.

But Worrall’s display means that the Rangers boss obviously must pair him alongside Connor Goldson for Thursday’s Europa League encounter with Rapid Vienna at Ibrox.

Goldson and Katic has proven to be an excellent defensive partnership for the Blues and Gerrard will irk a lot of Blues fans if he selects Worrall again – especially if they lose.

At 21, Worrall will no doubt improve, but the 38-year-old boss would send quite a poor message if he overlooks Katic again and continues with the young Englishman.