Rangers are fighting for their Europa League survival as they host Jagiellonia Bialystok at Ibrox, trailing 2-1 from the first leg in Poland. A defeat would see them drop into the Conference League for the first time in their history.
McInnes seeks first win
Derek McInnes is still searching for his first victory as Rangers boss after three attempts, having drawn his opening Scottish Premiership game against Dundee United and lost his two subsequent matches. The new manager has been dealt a blow with Youssef Chermiti ruled out with a likely season-ending injury, while Tuur Rommens is also sidelined.
Rangers are down to the bare bones, particularly in defence, and come into the match on the back of a last-gasp home defeat to Hibs at the weekend. Jagiellonia also suffered a league loss at home, leaving both sides with everything to play for.
Winners face Iberia Tbilisi
The winners of this tie will face FC Iberia 1999 of Tbilisi in the next round, a significant incentive as they would be strong favourites to progress to the league phase. Rangers were denied a potential playoff against Northern Irish side Larne after Iberia Tbilisi knocked them out in dramatic fashion in Tuesday's extra-time encounter.
Rangers chairman Andrew Cavenagh has also been approached by Linfield about a potential investment opportunity, as exclusively revealed by Record Sport. Cavenagh has entered initial talks with the Belfast club, managed by former Ibrox striker David Healy.
Team news and lineups
McInnes has opted for a bold back three of Olwethu Makhanya, Manny Fernandez and Dujon Sterling, with Dan Neil in midfield. Thelo Aasgaard is expected to play in the No. 10 role, with Daisuke Yokota and Djeidi Gassama as wing-backs and Lawrence Shankland and Ryan Naderi up front.
Rangers: Pandur, Sterling, Fernandez, Makhanya, Neil, Raskin, Aasgaard, Yokota, Gassama, Shankland (c), Naderi. Subs: Kelly, McCrorie, Hutton, Dragojevic, Devlin, Chukwuani, Barron, Cameron, McCausland, Curtis, Glasgow, Miovski.
Jagiellonia: Abramowicz, Wojtuszek, Bernardo Vital, Kobayashi, Guilherme Montoia, Imaz, Romanczuk (c), Klynge, Conceicao, Szmyt, Prelec. Subs: Perchel, Polak, Drachal, Rallis, Agbonifo, Sylla, Lozano, Konstantopolous, Krasiewicz, Pankiewicz, Zalewski, Kozlowski.
Speaking to club media, McInnes said: "It is a challenge, I think the game is finely poised but obviously the emphasis is on us to show the initiative. We've got 90 minutes to turn the game around but we would ideally like a quick start, we want let them know where we are in the game, we want to try and impose ourselves on it." He added: "We've got to tap into that [the Ibrox crowd] and make sure we use it for something, because I think you saw over there, they fed off their crowd, but equally we can do that here, with our fans but they've got to like what they're seeing on the pitch as well and it goes hand in hand, but if we can get that connection tonight, of all nights on a European night, then it certainly helps our cause - and plants a seed of doubt in theirs - because when this place gets rocking and gets as loud as it can be, it's difficult to stop."
Live action at Ibrox
Kick-off was delayed slightly as the teams emerged, with Rangers starting brightly. Yokota forced an early corner, and Gassama won a free-kick after being dragged back by Conceicao. The visitors had a chance when Imaz hit the post, but Rangers took the lead on 49 minutes when Kobayashi handled Yokota's cross and Shankland scored the penalty. The aggregate score is now 2-2, with the tie finely poised.
Rangers are without a clean sheet since March and will need to tighten up at the back to avoid conceding, as Jagiellonia continue to threaten on the break. The winner of this tie will face Iberia Tbilisi in the next round.
