Rangers drawn against PSV Eindhoven or Monaco in Champions League play-off round - if they beat USG

Rangers have been handed a tough Champions League play-off round tie against either Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven or French side AS Monaco - should they progress past Union Saint-Gilloise.

The Ibrox club, who were seeded for the draw on Tuesday morning, still have to navigate their way past last season’s Belgian runners-up.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side are in Belgium this evening for the first-leg before welcoming their opponents to Glasgow the following week for the return leg.

If they come through the tie unscathed against the Brussels-based outfit they will then face a further two-legged tie against the winners of PSV or Monaco to reach the Champions League group stage.

Rangers, who were knocked out of the competition by Malmo at this stage 12 months ago, will play the first-leg at Ibrox before travelling to Eindhoven or Monaco for the second leg, with the games taking place across August 16/17 and 23/24.

PSV, managed by Manchester United legend Ruud van Nistelrooy, finished runners-up to Ajax in the Eredivisie last season, while Monaco finished third in Ligue 1 after narrowly missing out on second place which would have earned them automatic qualifcation for the group stage.

Rangers will be familiar with both teams having faced them in European competition on a combined seven previous occasions.

PSV, who signed two players previously linked with the Gers across the past 12 months in Joey Veerman and Xavi Simons, will be slight favourites to progress against the Monegasques.

Rangers are bidding for a first group stage appearance since 2010 but if they fail at the play-off round, the club would drop into the Europa League groups, where they have enjoyed great success in recent years.