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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Fraser Wilson

Antwerp injuries bite ahead of Rangers Europa League clash as Belgian boss conducts trial by mobile phone

Royal Antwerp boss Franky Vercauteren scrutinised VAR on his mobile phone as Rangers' Europa League foes secured a bruising draw with Standard Liege.

Steven Gerrard's side travel to Belgium on Thursday for the first leg of their last 32 tie and warmed up by beating Kilmarnock on Saturday.

But their opponents were left seething having thought they'd grabbed a last minute winner over Rangers' group stage foes Standard Liege.

An early penalty had given Antwerp the lead before they were pegged back by a Nill De Pauw strike.

And they thought they'd taken a vital three points when Didier Lamkel Ze headed home in the 93rd minute, only for the goal to be ruled out by the video assistants.

Boss Vercauteren - who watched a replay of the goal on a mobile phone in his dugout - admitted: "I think it was offside, I'm not arguing about that.

"There was so much doubt with all these breaks because of the decisions needing seen or reviewed. Why not look at the images on the cell phone? Before, we hide them!

“When we look at the first 20 minutes, I'm happy to take a point. A draw at Standard is never bad.

“We should have scored a second goal and could have come away with two more points. However, I am satisfied with my troops, they reacted well.”

Vercauteren was forced to juggle his injury-stricken squad as on-loan Cologne playmaker Birger Verstraete - who looked set for a return after being sidelined by a toe injury - was mysteriously pulled from the starting XI and returned to the bench less than an hour before kick off.

Eight-goal Congolese striker Dieumerci Mbokani was again absent having missed the last four weeks with a calf injury and is unlikely to be fit to start on Thursday.

Lamkel Ze took his place but is suspended for Thursday’s first leg with Uruguayan striker Felipe Avenatti - signed last month on loan from Liege - looking certain to lead the line against Rangers in four days' time.

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