Roofe raises Rangers for final
Striker back training on eve of Europa League bout
RANGERS’ chances of beating Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League final here in Seville tonight have been handed a huge boost by the timely return of striker Kemar Roofe.
Roofe has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury during his side’s Scottish Cup semi-final triumph over Celtic at Hampden last month.
However, Giovanni van Bronckhorst last night revealed the Jamaican centre forward had taken part in training with his squad on Monday and is available for selection.
Van Bronckhorst played Scott Wright up front with Joe Aribo and Ryan Kent in both Europa League semi-final games against RB Leipzig and the Scot performed well.
However, Roofe, who has scored 17 goals for club and country in the 2021/22 campaign, will increase the threat that Rangers pose in attack in the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.
The £4.5m player, who netted an extra-time winner against Braga in the quarter-final, is far more experienced.
“Kemar is available,” said Van Bronckhorst before a final training session at the match venue.
“He trained for the first time with us yesterday, he had individual training before that and he will be training also tonight. So he will be in the squad for tomorrow. If I want to use him he’s ready.
“Of course it’s a boost for us. He got injured a couple of weeks ago and was having a good spell. I am happy that he’s back because he was working hard to be ready for the Leipzig game.
“He didn’t make it so we just extended it for him for the final. So he is there and he is also ready of course to play a part in tomorrow’s game.”
He added: “The mood is very, very good. We’re all excited of course to play the final tomorrow.
“The preparation went really well with an extra day to prepare for the game tomorrow, in Glasgow.
“We travelled yesterday, tonight it will be light training. Tomorrow we have the final meetings for our game plan. But we are ready for tomorrow.”
Van Bronckhorst also urged fans not to leave any negativity in Seville as he prepared his side for the final.
Around 100,000 Rangers supporters are expected to be in the Spanish city for the Ibrox club’s first European final in 14 years and former managers Ally McCoist and Graeme Souness this week called for fans to behave themselves.
Some Rangers fans were involved in trouble in Manchester in 2008 but the manager wants this time to be different.
The former Ibrox player said: “I think it’s not about the numbers. You can bring 50 people and they can bring chaos.
“I know we have a lot of people travelling with us and enjoying the final.
“We have to enjoy this occasion. We as managers, players, staff and fans inside and outside the stadium, it’s not often you get to reach a European final.
“It’s not just for Rangers, it’s also for Frankfurt and we have to enjoy it and make sure we are not causing any problems.
“Let the game decide who wins this game.”