Rangers

Chris Bertram
BBC Sport Senior Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Necessity being the mother of invention means Nicolas Raskin's exile from the Rangers first team is unlikely to be a prolonged one.

The Ibrox midfield needs his skillset too much for the Belgium player to be left out of a struggling side led by an under-pressure manager for much longer.

Raskin is poised to return to training after being left out of the squad for the draw against Celtic before the international break.

He scored his first goal for Belgium this week and has said he is eager to regain his place in the side after a "complicated" summer, at the end of which he fell out with boss Russell Martin.

Martin needs results, though, and with in-form Hearts next on the horizon, Raskin will surely be in his thinking.

Victory for Hearts on Saturday would move them a daunting nine points ahead of Rangers in the Scottish Premiership and pile further heat on the new manager.

In Raskin's absence, Martin fielded Connor Barron and Mohamed Diomande - as well as substitute Joe Rothwell, who has been underwhelming since joining in the summer - in midfield against Celtic.

They were assiduous and kept Celtic at arm's length, but the combination of aggression and tidy passing that Raskin offers was conspicuous by its absence.

It was not an isolated match; Rangers trail Celtic in every aspect of passing statistics this season and are no better than mid-table in terms of duels won among Premiership teams.

Both Old Firm managers have possession-based philosophies, yet while Celtic have hardly been on top form this season, they are still out-passing Martin's side.

Celtic's 2,737 total of passes dwarfs Rangers' 2,217, with far more (1,341 to 1,038) in their own half and, more importantly (1,396 to 1,179) in the opposition's.

Celtic have made 784 forward passes to Rangers' 656 this season, with 21 more into the final third (284 to 263).

Rangers have less of the ball than their city rivals, and when they do have it, they are less progressive with it.

But it gets worse. Rangers are sixth best in terms of duels in the league so far, with a 49.7% success rate.

And ominously for Martin, Hearts are top of that table, winning 293 duels to Rangers' 190 - giving Derek McInnes' new side a league-best 54.3% success rate.

Raskin's return will not solve all of Rangers' issues instantly, but his presence would surely help.

He was the club's player and players' player of the year last season, scoring five times in the second half of the season and providing 10 assists - the joint-highest in the Premiership with Celtic pair Daizen Maeda and Alistair Johnston.

He ranked fourth for possession won (187) in the Premiership last season and is in the top 10 for duels won as well as chances created.

Martin is not in a position to make arguably his best midfielder sit and sweat on the sidelines over past disagreements.

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• Rangers are unbeaten in 18 meetings with Hearts in all competitions (W14 D4); only from October 1998 to March 2004 have they ever had a longer run without defeat against the Tynecastle side (24).

• Hearts are winless in 17 visits to Rangers in all competitions (D3 L14) since winning 2-1 in the Scottish Championship in August 2014. It's their longest ever winless run away to the Glasgow outfit.

• Rangers have failed to win any of their past five league matches (D5), their longest winless run in the top flight since a sequence of six between October and December 2005 under Alex McLeish (D4 L2).

• Hearts are unbeaten in eight league matches, winning seven of those (D1) and scoring 2+ goals in each of their past four. It is the club's longest unbeaten run in the competition since going 10 without defeat between December 2023 and February 2024.

• Hearts' Harry Milne has won 37 duels in the Scottish Premiership this season, the most of any player in the competition, while only team-mate Cammy Devlin (19) has made more tackles than him this term (17).

Nicolas Raskin will return to Rangers first-team training after talks with manager Russell Martin - but knows he has to earn his spot back in the side. (Scottish Sun)

A leaked document reveals one of the metrics potential Leeds signings are based on is the ability to score headers from set-pieces, which could explain Rangers' emphasis on players over 6ft in the summer window, given the clubs have the same ownership group. (Scottish Sun)

Read the rest of Thursday's gossip.

Image source, PA Media

Rangers have been fined £17,291 and given a suspended supporter ban by Uefa after the "lighting of fireworks" during last month's Champions League play-off defeat by Club Brugge.

The incident took place during the second leg of the tie in Belgium, which Rangers lost 6-0 after a 3-1 loss in the first leg at Ibrox.

Uefa say Rangers could be banned "from selling tickets to its away supporters for the next...Uefa competition match" but that this measure is "suspended during a probationary period of two years, starting from the date of the present decision".

The Ibrox side will play in the league phase of the Europa League this season, starting this month with a home tie against Genk.

In March, Rangers said they were "in the process of issuing lifetime bans" to those responsible for a banner that led to Uefa issuing a suspended closure of the Copland Stand.

The stand at Ibrox, which holds around 8,000 fans, will be shut for one game if there is "a repeat of racist and/or discriminatory behaviour" during European matches within the next 18 months.

The club were fined around £25,000 for the banner, which was displayed during the home leg of their Europa League victory over Fenerbahce.

Clive Lindsay
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, SNS

Three goals in four games, the fourth worst total in the Scottish Premiership. On the surface, it is easy to see where Rangers' early-season problems lie.

For a side with ambitions - and expectations - to challenge Celtic for the title, it is a damning statistic as they prepare to host a Hearts side currently second to the reigning champions only on goal difference.

So where are Russell Martin's side falling short?

Despite drawing all four opening Premiership games, they are not lacking in terms of possession - being second only to the league leaders.

That is hardly surprising considering Rangers' head coach, as he previously did with Southampton, is remaining true to his philosophy of playing out from the back.

It means Rangers play fewer long passes than any top-tier team, their 151 being nearly half as many as Livingston's 299. Celtic's 182, in comparison, makes the league leaders the fifth most likely to resort to long balls.

Perhaps it is just as well Rangers keep it short considering their long-ball success rate is the second worst in the division behind Dundee United.

In contrast, the Ibrox side have the best passing accuracy in the opposing half, but that is obviously not translating into goals.

Penetration could be part of the problem considering Rangers have attempted only five through balls - 10 fewer than Celtic and half as many as Motherwell.

They also have the worst crossing accuracy from open play - 13.6% compared to Dundee United's 34.8% and Celtic's 26.3%.

Two of their three goals this season have come from corners, but that is primarily down to the fact Martin's side have forced more of those than any other team.

With the other goal coming from the penalty spot, it means Rangers have not yet scored from open play - the worst in the division along with bottom-placed Aberdeen - despite their chances created from such being third behind Celtic and Hearts.

Six chances have been created from set-plays - twice as many as Celtic, third best in the league, but half as many as Hearts.

However, it appears to be the quality of those chances and the ability to take them where the biggest problem lies.

Only three of what Opta describes as 'big chances' have been created - eight fewer than Celtic - with only Dundee creating less.

Rangers also have the third worst shooting accuracy and the second worst conversion rate (5.9%, excluding penalties), despite having the second most goal attempts.

Not surprisingly, it means they only have the fifth best expected goals (xG) rate - 4.51 compared to Hearts' 6.4, Motherwell's 5.86 and Celtic's 5.75.

With Cyriel Dessers and Hamza Igamane sold and Yousseff Chermiti and Bojan Miovski bought as replacements in the final days of the transfer window, Martin will be hoping his new recruits inspire the creativity and killer instinct that has been missing up front.

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

It's difficult to overstate just how big a game the Rangers v Hearts fixture is this weekend.

For Hearts it is a major opportunity to lay down a marker in their quest to at least split the Old Firm, but from Rangers' perspective, it is a chance to kickstart their campaign following an improved performance before the international break against Celtic.

I said last week I felt Rangers had to win all four of their remaining games in September to earn Russell Martin a bit of slack from those who already want him out the door. And in terms of a title challenge, this first game in that run is a must-win.

The way the match begins will set the tone. If Rangers can start on the front foot and get an early goal, they can try to impose their own style on Hearts and ease the tension around the stadium.

But if Hearts start the better side and Rangers struggle, that tension will grow, the fans will voice their displeasure and it could make for another difficult afternoon for the Rangers head coach and his players as they seek that elusive first league win.

Some of Rangers' international players should come back in good fettle. John Souttar played very well in both Scotland games and has to return to his favoured position on the right side of central defence with Derek Cornelius, who scored a fabulous free-kick for Canada against Wales, coming in for a debut as his partner.

No one enjoyed a better international window than Thelo Aasgaard though, coming off the bench for Norway to score four in the 11-1 win over Moldova.

Much is expected of him in a Rangers jersey and if he can begin to show that kind of form, it would be a massive boost to Rangers' chances of success.

It will be very interesting to see how Martin accommodates his two new big-money strikers, Youssef Chermiti and Bojan Miovski, while the other source of real intrigue is whether Nico Raskin, who scored for Belgium, can resolve his differences with the manager and find a way back into the team. All will be revealed on Saturday.

Russell Martin retains the backing of Rangers' owners for now despite the head coach losing the support of many of the Scottish Premiership club's fans. (Football Insider), external

Ayr United manager Scott Brown believes Leon King, who is on loan from Rangers, can still achieve the levels he was expected to reach when the 21-year-old centre-half broke into the first team at Ibrox as a teenager. (Glasgow Times), external

Read Wednesday's Scottish Gossip in full.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Rangers midfielder Thelo Aasgaard scored four goals as Norway beat Moldova 11-1 in World Cup qualifying.

Substitute Aasgaard, 23, came on in the 64th minute and registered a 12-minute hat-trick, with his third coming from the penalty spot in the 79th minute. He added a fourth in added time.

Felix Myhre, Erling Haaland (five) and Martin Odegaard netted the hosts' other goals and Leo Ostigard's own goal meant all 12 on the night were scored by Norwegian players.

Summer signing Aasgaard, who has five goals in three senior international appearances, has played five times for Rangers this season, with Hearts visiting Ibrox in Saturday's Scottish Premiership match (15:00 BST).

New Rangers defender Derek Cornelius scored a free-kick winner and Hibernian winger Junior Hoilett featured as Canada defeated Wales in Tuesday's international friendly.

Cornelius, who has joined Rangers on loan from Marseille, struck the only goal of the match in the 41st minute.

Hoilett played the final 25 minutes as a substitute in Swansea.

Twenty-seven year-old Cornelius moves on to 37 caps, with Hoilett, 35, making his 67th senior international appearance.

Both players had featured in Friday's 3-0 friendly win in Romania, with veteran Hoilett again coming off the bench.

Cornelius could make his Rangers debut at home to Hearts on Saturday (15:00 BST), with Hoilett's Hibs hosting Dundee United later in the day (17:45).

Jamie Currie
Fan writer

Given that we signed Youssef Chermiti and Derek Cornelius on transfer deadline day to bolster the options at both ends of the pitch, I'm looking forward to witnessing what they add in the coming weeks and months.

The one area I think we are short is left-back. We have plenty of players who can play there but just one specialist in Jayden Meghoma.

Going forward for Russell Martin, he has to ditch his style to be more in line with the Old Firm derby performance - but with chances created at the other end.

The goalless draw with Celtic will go down as a missed opportunity for Martin. I wouldn't echo the manager's sentiment that it was brilliant or any other similar superlative.

It was fine defensively, and the workrate was there, but we struggled to create any clear-cut chances, which has been a problem in the league so far.

Martin also has to bury the hatchet with Nico Raskin and get his best midfielder into the team alongside Mohamed Diomande.

Whether we want him in the manager's job is irrelevant, Martin simply has to begin winning football matches, starting with Hearts on Saturday.

Style is not important just now, getting wins on the board is. If we don't beat Derek McInnes' side this weekend the pressure will become almost too much for this project to continue, but a win might just start something positive we can get behind. Football is funny like that.

Over to Russell and the players to deliver.

Rangers are considering a move for free agent Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 32, but Everton and Leeds are interested in the former England international, who left Turkish club Besiktas at the end of August. (The Boot Room), external

Belgium midfielder Nico Raskin says his situation at Ibrox is "complicated" but insists "I absolutely love Rangers" and will "work hard to get playing time again". (Voetbalkrant - via Daily Record, external)

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin scored his first international goal as Belgium cruised to a 6-0 victory over Kazakhstan in World Cup qualifying.

Raskin started alongside Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans in midfield and made it three in the early stages of the second half, tapping home a cross from close range.

Belgium are second in Group J, one point behind North Macedonia having played one game fewer.

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Rangers defender Leon King has joined Scottish Championship side Ayr United on loan until the end of the season.

The 21-year-old has made 42 first team appearances for the Ibrox club since making his debut in 2020, but spent the second half of last season on loan at Queen's Park.

"I'm really happy and delighted to be here," the centre-back said of his latest move.

"Being a footballer, I want to play as many games as possible. The last few weeks have been pretty difficult but I'm just concentrating on myself and I'm ready to go here.

"I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had a Rangers but I have a job to do here now."

Former Ibrox striker and coach Billy Dodds believed Bojan Miovski would be a good fit for Rangers before the 26-year-old striker joined the club last month. (Record), external

Rangers right-back Zander Hutton, 19, has joined Hamilton Academical on loan. (Herald - subscription required), external

Read Sunday's Scottish gossip

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Rangers defender Zander Hutton has joined Hamilton Accies on a season-long loan deal.

The 19-year-old, who came through the Rangers academy, is yet to make his competitive debut for the first team but featured in the Ibrox club's 2-2 friendly draw with Middlesbrough this summer.

"I spoke with the gaffer [John Rankin] over the week and was excited by the ambitions he has for the season and how I fit into his plans," the right-back told club media., external

"It was a great experience being part of the Rangers first-team in pre-season, I learned a lot in that period so I'm looking forward to playing and getting involved each week."

Rangers could return with a new offer for Crystal Palace's Jesurun Rak-Sakyi after the Scottish side missed out with a late bid for the 22-year-old English winger. (Football Insider), external

Former Rangers youth goalkeeper Jacob Pazikas, 20, has joined new Dubai-based club Rimal Al-Sahra SC. (Sun), external

Read Saturday's Scottish gossip

Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin, 24, was an unused substitute as Belgium beat hosts Liechtenstein 6-0 in Thursday's World Cup qualifying opener. (Sun), external

Insiders at Rangers are asking questions following the club's underwhelming start to the season. (Football Insider), external

Midfielder Blaine McClure, 18, has joined Nottingham Forest from Rangers. (Herald - subscription required), external

Read Friday's Scottish gossip

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Former Hearts and Dundee United manager Robbie Neilson says Celtic's transfer window has turned what was a "one-horse race" in the Scottish Premiership to a two, or potentially even a three-horse race.

Neilson believes the pressure is on Celtic as their rivals have spent big in strengthening their squads while Brendan Rodgers' side have spent relatively low.

"Right through the transfer window Celtic were waiting to see whether they qualified for the Champions League before they went and spent, whether it was spending high or spending low," said Neilson on the BBC's Scottish Football Podcast.

"Obviously, they didn't make the Champions League group stages and it looks to me as if they're spending low.

"When you look at what's happened at the other side of the city, the money that's getting spent there, there's definitely pressure now getting put in on Celtic.

"At the start of the season, I said it was probably going to be a one-horse race. Now I think it's potentially a two, maybe even a three, if you look at what Hearts have done."

Alasdair Lamont
BBC Sport Scotland Commentator

The international break gives Russell Martin some much needed breathing space after a tumultuous first couple of months as Rangers head coach.

After the excruciating defeat by Club Brugge, Martin needed a big performance in the Old Firm derby and while it was far from perfect, his players did show a desire to restore some pride and that maybe, just maybe, there is a way for Martin's team to improve sufficiently to compete for honours.

Supporters, on the whole, still need to be convinced and only four victories from the four games they have in September will suffice as Martin seeks to turn a shaky start into something more steady if not exhilarating.

If Rangers are to be considered potential trophy contenders then home wins over Hearts in the league, Hibernian in the League Cup and Genk in the Europa League should not be beyond them before ending the month with a visit to Livingston. Slip-ups in any of those games will not be excusable.

Martin has been well backed by the new owners, with the reported £8m spent on Youssef Chermiti a real statement of intent.

I'd be lying if I said I knew anything about the striker beyond the bare statistics from his time at Everton, which don't make impressive reading, but sporting director Kevin Thelwell has obviously seen enough in the 21-year-old having also brought him to Goodison from Sporting for an even greater fee.

It will be interesting to see if Rangers can accommodate Chermiti and Bojan Miovski in the same team, having shelled out big money on both. Miovski is at least a proven scorer at this level and should be a success.

A bigger concern is the defence, particularly the left-hand side of it.

Deadline-day signing Derek Cornelius addresses the lack of balance at the heart of the back four if he has been signed to partner John Souttar or Nasser Djiga, but there remains a real lack of cover for the inexperienced Jayden Meghoma at full-back, with Max Aarons not having convinced in that role earlier in the season.

All this before we even begin to address the Nicolas Raskin debacle. Maybe I'll leave that until after the international break.

Rangers defender Clinton Nsiala turned down a deadline day move to Dynamo Kyiv, but could still leave Ibrox on loan since there is interest in the 21-year-old from clubs in Belgium. (Glasgow Times), external

Romania midfielder Ianis Hagi, the 26-year-old midfielder who left Rangers as a free agent at the end of last season, is to join Alanyaspor, who have seen off competition from Turkish rivals Karagumruck and Spanish side Elche. (sporx.com - in Turkish), external

Read Thursday's Scottish gossip

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Midfield pair Nedim Bajrami and Kieran Dowell have been left out of Rangers' Europa League squad.

Albania international Bajrami had dropped out for the Champions League play-off defeat to Club Brugge but did appear as a substitute in Sunday's 0-0 draw with Celtic at Ibrox.

Dowell has not featured since a League Cup win over Alloa Athletic on 16 August.

Deadline day signings Youssef Chermiti and Derek Cornelius go straight in, along with Bojan Miovski, and Nico Raskin keeps his place despite not being selected for the Old Firm derby.

Rangers start with a home game against Genk on 25 September.

They also face Sturm Graz, Brann, Roma, Braga, Ferencvaros, Ludogrets Razgrad and Porto.

Image source, SNS

Rangers plan discussions with Nico Raskin following the international break after the Belgium midfielder was left out of Russell Martin's squad for Sunday's Old Firm derby draw.

The 24-year-old did not start the preceding match, coming off the bench at half-time in the 6-0 drubbing away to Club Brugge.

"When he comes back Russell and I will sit down with Nico and talk about what we do next," sporting director Kevin Thelwell told RangersTV.

"We all want the same thing. We all want a better Rangers team.

"This is a very important year for Nico, with a World Cup coming up.

"He's a terrific player and he's going to want to be a strong part of that, so him doing well for Rangers is going to be important and important for us."