Rangers manager Danny Rohl needs to axe Nasser Djiga from his starting lineup after his performance against Celtic last time out, as they prepare to face Roma in the Europa League.
The Ibrox outfit suffered a 3-1 defeat in the Scottish Cup semi-final last weekend, with Thelo Aasgard’s red card in the first half proving costly. Rangers managed to take the game to extra-time, despite Celtic’s one-man advantage, but Rohl’s side couldn’t hold on with Martin O’Neill’s men advancing into the final of the competition.
Plenty of players came under scrutiny after the display, but the red card certainly changed the game. Aasgard has been criticised for getting himself sent off, and it will be interesting to see whether he keeps his place in the starting XI in Europe this week against Roma.
Rangers Boss Danny Rohl Must Axe Nasser Djiga
Rangers boss Rohl now needs to take Djiga out of the starting XI if he wants to beat Roma in the Europa League on Thursday evening. After his performance against Celtic, where Four Lads Had A Dream described him as looking ‘lost’, Rohl needs to make a change in the heart of the defence, with Djiga struggling against Celtic.
Roma are likely going to be an even tougher outfit, as they sit in fourth place in the Serie A table. Djiga has started six games in the Scottish Premiership this season, but he’s arguably one of the weak links in Rohl’s three-man defensive setup.
Rohl has options to replace Djiga in the defence, with one potential decision being to bring in James Tavernier as a right-sided centre-back role, allowing Max Aarons to come in as a right wing-back. Rohl also has Emmanuel Fernandez as a centre-back option, but the 23-year-old has had little experience since arriving at the club during the summer transfer window.
Overall, Rohl does need to make some alterations if he does want to beat a side as strong as Roma.
The game against Roma certainly isn’t going to be easy, with the Italian side having plenty of European pedigree. Rangers currently sit bottom of the Europa League table (36 clubs) without a fin from their opening three games, so something needs to change, and dropping Djiga could be one of the answers.
