Leipzig is top test for Warburton

MARK WARBURTON hopes the ‘phenomenal’ Rangers support travelling to Germany next weekend will enjoy an occasion to whet the appetite for the club’s return to European competition.

Over 7,000 fans have booked up to travel to next Sunday’s friendly at the Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, as Rangers take on the Bundesliga newcomers to keep the fitness levels of Warburton’s men high during the winter shutdown.

Oliver Burke’s club are second to Bayern Munich in the German top flight and will provide a searching examination for a Rangers team that Warburton hopes will be contesting Europa League football next term. Ibrox fans have been starved of continental action since exiting Champions League then Europa qualifying to Malmo and Maribor in 2011.

The Rangers manager said: ‘Leipzig will be a really tough test but it’s the type of challenge that we wanted. It’s a different stadium and a different environment for the players. They are a high-energy, pressing sort of team, so that will challenge us.

‘We want to make sure the players are match sharp going into the second half of the season and we really didn’t want a low-key friendly. For the players, it will be a good experience and a good test.

‘We know there will be a lot of Rangers fans there, so it will be a good experience. We will have phenomenal backing in Germany and I’m not sure what Leipzig must be thinking with the amount of Rangers fans that are going to the game.

‘The fans are desperate for European football again and that’s what we want to achieve this season. So many of them have told me they can’t wait for the first European game but never did I believe we would be taking this many fans over for a friendly in Germany.’

Warburton gave his first-team stars seven days off following the Old Firm reverse on Hogmanay and they will return to training in Glasgow this week ahead of the flight to Leipzig on Saturday.

‘We had a chance to go to the United States but it involved too many games and getting back late,’ he said. ‘At the time, we could have had a Friday night game in the Scottish Cup so we didn’t want to risk it.

‘The game in Germany suits us fine before we return and prepare for the Motherwell match in the Scottish Cup.’