Philippe Clement in Rangers transfer tease as Europa League admission leads to knowing wink over cash

Rangers manager Philippe Clement has teased the club may need to buy Scottish players to fill their European quota - but cash may be needed for 'other things'.

The Light Blues boss handed academy product Cole McKinnon more minutes as his side won 2-0 in Scottish Cup quarter-final action over Hibs. Goals from John Lundstram and Fabio Silva sealed progression and attention now turns to Europe.

They face Benfica in the second leg of their Europa League last 16 tie at Ibrox, with the game poised at 2-2. In his praise for McKinnon, Clement admits some Rangers stars have missed Euro contention due to a lack of available homegrown players required for the team.

He admits some may need to be purchased if they can't be developed at Auchenhowie - but Clement delivered a teasing nod that cash could be going elsewhere. The Belgian said: "I am very positive about Cole otherwise you do not given him minutes against Benfica, otherwise you do not come in today also.

"He is still a young lad but he has shown really good mentality and workrate in training and he has been growing on the ball month by month and that is positive. It is important to try and win all the games or try to, that’s my ambition. But it is also important for me to develop young players and give them chances and let them grow.

"It is important for Scottish football also to give chances to young Scottish players and let them grow. We need to look into that for our European squad because we missed several players in this squad because we did not have enough Scottish players on the list or we need to buy them – but we maybe need our money for other things.

"Or we need to build them ourselves over the next couple of years and that is one of my objectives, to get players out of the academy who can grow to become Rangers first XI players. "