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Daily Record
Daily Record
Sport
Liam Bryce

Charlie Nicholas urges radical Rangers endgame for Alfredo Morelos as he predicts Champions League nightmare

Charlie Nicholas has urged Rangers to start Alfredo Morelos against PSV - then do all they can to get rid of him.

The pundit reckons the Colombian striker's time is up at Ibrox following his weekend dismissal in the 2-2 draw with Hibs. Morelos was shown a straight red card by referee Willie Collum just minutes after emerging from the bench at Easter Road on Saturday.

The forward has largely cleaned up his act after gaining an unwanted reputation for disciplinary issues during Steven Gerrard's tenure. But Nicholas reckons his sending off in Leith should prove the final straw for Giovanni van Bronckhorst as he urged the Ibrox boss to cut his losses after a Champions League playoff second leg in the Netherlands. Nicholas wrote in his Scottish Daily Express column: " Rangers should start Alfredo Morelos against PSV tomorrow and then sell him before the transfer window closes next week.

"I would play him in the second leg of the Champions League play-off because if he does come up trumps then there's no better way to put himself in the shop window. That's the crazy thing about Morelos.

"He is always capable of doing something really good. But he is a risk and Rangers need to get rid of the Colombian striker while he remains a sellable asset.

"People have talked about Morelos being a £20million player. Maybe that was the case a couple of seasons ago but if Rangers could get £10m with add-ons they should take it.

"Somebody will sign him - perhaps a club in Spain like Real Betis or another team at a similar level from a decent European league. But Rangers need to get rid of Morelos.

"He got himself sent off just 13 minutes after coming off the bench at Easter Road last weekend after catching Hibs defender Marijan Cabraja with a flailing arm. It was a soft ordering-off but by the letter of the law it was a red-card offence.

"His behaviour concerns me because that impetuousness is still in his DNA. When he came on last Saturday, it looked like Morelos was in a huff from being an unused sub in last week's first leg against PSV at Ibrox.

"I reckon Giovanni van Bronckhorst has taken a good look at the situation and decided that he isn't prepared to go through what his managerial predecessor did. Morelos has been a liability too often.

"He had Steven Gerrard on the verge of potentially losing his job before Gers won the title in 2021. Gerrard had to put his neck on the line and swallow a lot of pain because of the South American's indiscipline. Van Bronckhorst doesn't need to do that now."

Nicholas may have suggested starting Morelos in a bid to put him in the shop window - but he still expects Rangers to fail in their bid to reach the group stage. He said: "If your goalkeeper doesn't come for crosses at Champions League level then you are in trouble and that's why I expect Rangers' group-stage hopes to be snuffed out on Wednesday night.

"Following last week's 2-2 draw with PSV at Ibrox, I don't see Gers going to the Netherlands and winning the second leg of their play-off. Jon McLaughlin conceded both goals via corners and keepers who don't come for set-piece deliveries into their own six-yard box are not top level."

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