Rangers news: Injury ‘concern’ confirmed, Europa League reaction, McCoist’s bizarre Modric story

Rangers put one foot in the Europa League quarter-finals on Thursday night with a huge home win at Ibrox.

Goals from James Tavernier, Alfredo Morelos and Leon Balogun saw Rangers take a 3-0 goal lead over Red Star Belgrade ahead of next week’s second leg.

It was another memorable night at Ibrox, but there is no rest for the wicked, and with a Scottish Premiership title bid also ongoing, Rangers are back in Scottish Cup action this weekend.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men take on Dundee in the Scottish Cup quarter-finals this weekend, and ahead of that game, we have rounded up all the latest Rangers news, including reaction to Thursday night’s big result.

Injury issues

Van Bronckhorst has issued an injury update after Rangers’ Europa League outing and ahead of this weekend’s Scottish Cup quarter-final with Dundee.

“Physically it was a tough match last night, we have a couple concerns with (John) Lundstram’s ankle and we have to assess (Joe) Aribo also before Sunday,” said the Gers boss.

Those doubts will be a big concern for Rangers ahead of this weekend’s key cup clash.

Hargreaves reacts to Europa win

Former Manchester United and Bayern Munich star Jamie Hargreaves has reacted to Rangers’ latest Europa League win.

“The fairytale continues,” said the former midfielder on BT Sport.

“Ibrox is one of the best places to play football, the fans are right up for it.

“Virtually everything went their way: three offside goals, penalty save from McGregor. In a way it was almost a perfect performance from Rangers.

“The game was a lot closer than the scoreline suggested but they’ve been brilliant in this competition.

“The second leg is going to be tough but I think it’s a brilliant start.”

McCoist’s Modric story

Ally McCoist has references one of his old stories about Luka Modric following Real Madrid’s comeback win over PSG on Wednesday.

“He’s some footballer, Modric,” McCoist said on the talkSPORT Breakfast. “I told you the story about Modric didn’t I, Al?”

That story involved a near miss for Rangers. McCoist said back in 2019: “Dinamo Zagreb were playing Hajduk Split and Walter [Smith] sent me over to watch the game looking at the big boy [Vedran] Corluka.

“So I went over to watch the game, Corluka was fine, I came back and Walter asked me how it all went.

“I said: ‘Yeah it’s a good team and Corluka is a good player, you’d take him all day’.

“But I also said: ‘I tell you right now, I don’t know how much money we’ve got in the bank account but there was a wee fella playing in the middle of the park, Luka Modric’.

“He just looked light-years ahead of everyone else on the pitch.

“I said: ‘Go and see him, and if you can get him gaffer he is unbelievable, out of this world’.

“So anyway, Walter picked up the phone and then put it back down. He said: ‘Nah forget it’.

“It was just too much for us, I can’t remember the exact figure but he was too much for us, and of course the rest of history.”