Gers close on loan duo for Europa bid
RANGERS were last night edging closer to the double capture of Umar Sadiq and Lassana Coulibaly ahead of Thursday’s Europa League qualifier against Shkupi.
The Ibrox outfit can register two ‘wildcard players’ 24 hours before the first leg against the Macedonians at Ibrox in Steven Gerrard’s first competitive match as boss.
Rangers are confident that work permits will be secured for Roma’s Nigerian-born striker Sadiq and Angers midfielder Coulibaly, both of whom have agreed one-year loan deals from their clubs.
Meanwhile, Scott Arfield insists reaching the Europa League group stage will be proof Gers are on the way back to the top.
The Canada midfielder dazzled on his Light Blues debut
FROM BACK PAGE when he netted a double in the 6-0 friendly rout of English League Two outfit Bury at Ibrox on Friday.
And the 29-year-old former Falkirk and Burnley star reckons if Gerrard can steer his men into the group phase then it could signal the start of better days returning to Ibrox.
He said: “It would mean a lot for the club to get to the group stage of the Europa League.
“You want to play at the highest level and it’s about time that we took this club back to glory.
“It would mean a lot, not just to me personally but to a hell of a lot of people.”
Arfield is well aware that Rangers came a cropper at the same stage last season.
Pedro Caixinha’s reign reached its lowest point when Gers crashed out 2-1 on aggregate against Luxembourg minnows Progres Niederkorn.
It was the club’s most humiliating Euro exit in their history but Gerrard’s squad are determined not to suffer a repeat.
Arfield is well aware and claimed Rangers should never bow out of European competition at such an early stage.
He said: “I wasn’t here but you hear the horror stories. This club should never go out in the first round of the Europa League. We should give a good account of ourselves.
“We did that on Friday night but with all due respect to the opposition that was a friendly. So it’s time to go on Thursday.
“There is such a long way for us to go. We have three qualifiers and then a playoff to get there.”