Rangers handed significant Europa League boost as Nice in crisis
Yesterday at 09:30 AM
Rangers have been handed a major Europa League boost ahead of their clash in France next week.
Philippe Clement’s side will travel to face Nice in their latest Euro bout having already played four, won two of them and drawn once.
It has been a relatively successful competition for the Ibrox side thus far and they will be desperate to keep that momentum going as they sit well within the playoff knockout spots in 10th on seven points.
A tricky away day beckons against Ligue 1’s sixth placed side at the time of writing and manager Franck Haise will have to take on the Light Blues with a squad plagued by injury.
This week it was confirmed that the French side will be without both of their starting full-backs who picked up knocks on international duty.
Firstly, France international right-back Jonathan Clauss picked up a thigh injury while training with his national team before their Nations League clashes with Israel and Italy.
Then Tunisia’s left-back Ali Abdi also injured himself in his country’s African Cup of Nations game against Gambia.
Jonathan Clauss and Ali Abdi are both ruled out of Nice vs Rangers through injury
The experienced pair – at 32 and 30-years-of-age respectively – will come as a major blow to Haise who was already missing some key players for Gers’ visit.
Striker Terem Moffi, midfielder Morgan Sanson and Algerian international midfielder Hicham Boudaoui are all sidelined long-term.
They will obviously be missing for next Thursday evening’s tie at The Allianz Riviera.
Rangers team news for Nice clash with four injured
Rangers, meanwhile, will be looking to come through this weekend’s Scottish Premiership clash with Dundee United unscathed with three points to help build their momentum.
Neraysho Kasanwirjo has already been confirmed to be out injured and will sit out against Nice while Tom Lawrence is also a major doubt for the Euro fixture.
Then longer-term injured stars Oscar Cortes and Rabbi Matondo are both also ruled out.
