Rangers are aiming to string together consecutive victories in the Scottish Premiership as they head to Falkirk for a Wednesday night fixture.
Currently sitting seventh in the table with four points, Rangers have displayed inconsistent performances across their various competitions. Their league record so far stands at one win, one draw, and one loss, with their most recent result being a gritty 1-0 triumph against Aberdeen. That domestic upturn comes after a painful exit from Europe, where they were eliminated from the UEFA Conference League play-offs by Czech outfit FK Jablonec in a penalty shoot-out.
The Gers arrive in better physical condition overall, although manager Derek McInnes still has to contend with several long-term absentees and off-field complications.
Forward Youssef Chermiti continues to be unavailable as he works his way back from a severe cruciate ligament injury.
Left-back Tuur Rommens is also expected to be sidelined for several weeks because of an ongoing groin issue, while midfielder Jose Cifuentes remains out after undergoing a recent operation.

#rangers #several #premiership

On Friday, SC Freiburg found out which teams they will face in the league phase of the Europa Conference League this season. Julian Schuster's side booked their place in today's draw after beating Motherwell FC 7-2 on aggregate.
Last season's Europa League finalists were in Pot 1. Unlike the Champions League and Europa League, there were six pots with only six league phase matchdays in the Conference League.
Freiburg's home games will be against Panathinaikos, Twente and Czechia side Jablonec. They will face AS Monaco, Mohamed Salah's Trabzonspor and Lithuanian side Kauno Žalgiris away from home.
AS Monaco (A)
Panathinaikos (H)

#Friday

Where do you start? How do you catalogue the insipidness of Derek McInnes' Rangers team in Jablonec?
How do you catalogue the Pedro-Caixinha-in-the-bushes level embarrassment that the club experienced in their exit from European football on Thursday?
In Jablonec, Rangers were unspeakably awful, devoid of any cohesion, desire, threat, their manager reduced to saying how embarrassed and mortified he was multiple times post-match.
They had one shot on target the whole night, one goal scored in 210 minutes. Rangers fans in the stadium gave it to them with both barrels at the end.
McInnes apologised. The whole scene was cringe-making. He tried to explain what he was trying to do with his multiple switches of formation and attempted to explain why his side were "miles off it".

#rangers #jablonec #multiple #pedro

Where do you start? How do you catalogue the insipidness of Derek McInnes' Rangers team in Jablonec?
How do you catalogue the Pedro-Caixinha-in-the-bushes level embarrassment that the club experienced in their exit from European football on Thursday?
In Jablonec, Rangers were unspeakably awful, devoid of any cohesion, desire, threat, their manager reduced to saying how embarrassed and mortified he was multiple times post-match.
They had one shot on target the whole night, one goal scored in 210 minutes. Rangers fans in the stadium gave it to them with both barrels at the end.
McInnes apologised. The whole scene was cringemaking. He tried to explain what he was trying to do with his multiple switches of formation and attempted to explain why his side were "miles off it".

#rangers #catalogue #whole

Manager Derek McInnes says he take "full responsibility" for Rangers' "embarrassing" Conference League exit at the hands of Jablonec.
Rangers, who held a 1-0 lead going into the second leg of the play-off in Czech Republic, lost 4-3 on penalties on Thursday to crash out of Europe completely.
Derek McInnes' side actually led early in the shootout, only for Findlay Curtis and James Penrice to miss their final two penalties.
It leaves them without European football beyond August for the first time since the 2-1 aggregate defeat by Luxembourg's Progres Niederkorn in the Europa League first qualifying round in 2017.
Rangers out of Europe after wretched penalty defeat in Jablonec

#manager

This despatch comes on the journey from Celtic's debacle in Linz to the Czech Republic, where Rangers will hope a more positive European experience awaits.
There will be Rangers supporters revelling in Celtic's downfall last night but they will surely be wary their own nightmare scenario could yet unfold, with the prospect of no European football whatsoever still a possibility.
If they turn in another performance like the first leg against Jablonec they will struggle to get the job done, though Derek McInnes will hope his players can find several more levels to help Rangers secure passage to the league stage of the Conference League.
The alternative is unthinkable for a club that has spent tens of millions of pounds over the past year, though the prize money available in this third-tier competition will not scratch the surface in terms of recouping some of that outlay.
Rather it is for reasons of self-respect that Rangers cannot afford to fail at this stage. Jablonec are not of a standard that should cause the Glasgow side any real issues, yet the slender advantage they take to the Czech Republic does not make for a comfortable evening.

#though

Ryan Naderi believes Rangers are "going in the right direction" despite an unconvincing display against Jablonec in their Conference League play-off first leg.
German striker Naderi, 23, scored Rangers' only goal at Ibrox, his second in as many games, to give Derek McInnes' side a slender lead over the Czechs before Thursday's away leg.
It was a second straight victory after McInnes' tenure had begun with two defeats and two draws.
"We're here to play for the qualifying for European competition, so obviously the opponent is tough," Naderi said.
"I agree that the first half wasn't amazing but I'm happy we kept a clean sheet. That was really important.

#second

Rangers need "a wee bit of help" and have money to spend to get it despite dropping out of the Europa League, says manager Derek McInnes.
Two draws and two defeats in the first four games of his tenure have put new boss McInnes under pressure, with Rangers registering only one point in the league and dropping into the Conference League qualifiers after losing to Jagiellonia Bialystok.
And, should the Ibrox side fail to overcome Czech side Jablonec over the final two Thursdays in August, they will be without continental competition - and the income it brings - for the rest of the campaign.
McInnes has overseen a summer of rebuilding, with nine players brought in, but he maintains that more could yet follow.
"It's not been the start we wanted, but the intention is still to have the outcome that we want come the end of the season," he said before Sunday's League Cup last-16 tie with St Mirren.

#mcinnes #europa #bialystok

Celtic have been drawn against Austrian champions LASK in the Champions League play-off round.
Meanwhile, Rangers will face either Larne or Iberia Tbilisi of Georgia in the Europa League play-offs should they defeat Jagiellonia Bialystok of Poland.
And Heart of Midlothian will take on either AGF Aarhus of Denmark or Sabah of Azerbaijan should they defeat Benfica.
Should they lose, the Edinburgh side will face Paide Linnameeskond of Estonia or Rapid Vienna of Austria.
If Rangers lose, they will face Jablonec of Czech Republic or RFS of Latvia.

#champions #either