Rangers face a must-win game at home to Brondby in the Europa League as Steven Gerrard looks to reach the knockout stage for a third straight year.
And victory would see the Ibrox side bounce back from the disappointment of two dropped Scottish Premiership points against Hearts on Saturday.
The Light Blues are winless in Group A following successive defeats at home to Lyon and away to Sparta Prague.
Rangers haven’t hit top gear this season but there is more positive news on the injury front involving the two Ryans - Kent and Jack.
Kent hasn’t featured since limping out of that 2-0 Lyon loss while Jack’s problem has been longer term and his calf problem has sidelined him since February.
Gerrard spoke to the media ahead of the visit of the Danes with the duo ending closer to a return to top team action.
Squad update
“Everyone has come through the weekend game fine. They are all available. Ryan Kent is closer but we have had to maybe take this game out. It has come a little bit too soon.
"He is days away but unfortunately this one comes just a little bit too soon. Ryan Jack is progressing well and should be in full training just before the Aberdeen game.
“So positive on both those fronts, but unfortunately this game comes too soon for Ryan (Kent).”
Lack of goals
"All my strikers are available for selection. We should be scoring more goals. We should be rewarding ourselves for a lot of our good play.
“We are getting into the right areas, we are creating chances in games. I would be a lot more frustrated and disappointed if we weren’t creating these chances and weren’t getting in the right areas.
"I do believe someone along the line will be on the end of some goals from us. I was asked a question about Alfredo at the weekend and it’s quite obvious he is not at his best.
“But he is still getting into the right places, his all-round game is still okay. It’s only a matter of time before the goals come.
“From Alfredo’s point of view he is sitting on 99 so I’m sure he will be desperate to get to a hundred.
“I won’t be giving my team selection away, but it wouldn’t surprise me if three of my number nines are involved over the 90 minutes tomorrow.”
Must-win game?
“I don’t mind if you put it that way. We want to try and win every game here at Rangers no matter where we are sitting in the table.
"But having lost the first two games I think it’s very important that we win this head to head over the next two games.
“We have to take a minimum of four points and ideally we take six. So tomorrow we need a performance and a result that’s going to try and kickstart our Europa League campaign.
“I don’t think our two performances have been miles away. But it’s a results business and to get out of the group you need results.
“We are well aware of that and if that adds a little bit more pressure going into tomorrow’s game and if people on the outside want to make it a must win game then we are okay with that.”
Tough domestic campaign impact on Europe?
“I don’t think so. I just think we were dealt a difficult group. Lyon have started the group the way everyone would have imagined. They are strong favourites and I think we saw that at Ibrox.
"Our second game was really close, but unfortunately we couldn’t defend our box well enough from a set play.
“We were punished in that game as well. I don’t think domestic form had any impact on those two results.
“But I do agree that it is more competitive from a domestic point of view. Hearts and Hibs started the season ever so well and Dundee United have emerged in the last three or four games with their form.
“I was asked a similar question in the last domestic press conference. We certainly welcome that competition, but the positive thing for me is that I still think we have levels and gears to go into and we are still sitting in a nice place so I do expect our form and our level and rhythm to change as we go along.”
Statistics show 68 per cent of players in the English Premier League have been vaccinated. What are the numbers in the Rangers squad?
“I don’t think I’m in a position to divulge medical information from the club’s point of view. It’s each to their own in terms of the decision.
“I am certainly double vaxxed. We have had many medical meetings throughout covid and the doctors also made it clear that, in his opinion, everyone should go and get double vaxxed.
“But I am certainly not in a position to divulge those sort of numbers in terms of personal medical information individually or collectively.
“We are pushing, we are asking all our players to go and get this done. But we certainly can’t force them because I think everyone is entitled to make their own decisions."
Surprised at UEFA taking no action against Sparta over Glen Kamara abuse?
“I have said it before and I will say it again, I don’t think the punishments are big enough for this type of stuff, not just in this game and in terms of the Glen incident.
“As a whole, I don’t think the punishments for racism are enough and that is the reason why it won’t be totally eradicated out of the game any time soon.
“We will miss Glen, he is a good player and in an ideal situation we would have him available. We need to use this as a rest for Glen because he has played an awful lot of football with the international games and he always plays full games when he is away.
“We have used him a lot so we need to try and use it as a positive now that he is not available and try and get him a rest and have him fit and fresh for the weekend.
Thoughts on Brondby?
“I know a lot about them because I have watched a lot of games in the last week, ten days. I am aware they didn’t start the season domestically really strong but they seem in the last three, four weeks, last four, five games, to be getting a lot stronger and be turning their form around.
“They are a really honest team who play with a back five. They carry a threat up front, they have a little and large combination and really good movement. We need to control the front two players because they carry a big threat. At this level, you have always got to respect your opponents and the individuals within that. But for me the focus is on us and trying to be the best version of Rangers. If we do, we should get a positive result.”
