Glasgow Rangers have been handed 'a little boost' with the return to fitness of Alfredo Morelos for their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round second leg clash, according to Frank McAvennie. 

The lowdown: Team news

This comes after it was confirmed that the Colombian striker, Ryan Kent and Fashion Sakala would be part of Giovanni van Bronckhorst's squad at Ibrox.

Returning from a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a thigh injury, Morelos came off the bench to find the net in the 2-0 Scottish Premiership win over Kilmarnock, with the Gers' boss admitting it was 'good' to have the 26-year-old back.

That view is shared by at least one pundit as Rangers prepare an attempt to overturn a 2-0 deficit against Belgian top-flight outfit Union Saint-Gilloise...

The latest: 'A little boost'

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie - who played for Celtic and Scotland - claimed it is a 'boost' to have the 11-cap star available once again.

He said: “I think he’s the best they’ve got as a striker. As a talent, he’s a good player there’s no doubting that. They’re going to need him on Tuesday as well as the other striker [Antonio Colak]. It’s good that he scored, it’s good that Morelos came off the bench and scored.

“That’s good for Rangers and it’s a little boost for them going in to the game on Tuesday. I think he’s the catalyst for them. And Rangers fans will be delighted he’s back and scoring. Hopefully he can do that for them on Tuesday.”

The verdict: Spot on

With 160 direct goal involvements in 225 outings for the Glasgow giants, having a player of Morelos' calibre at Van Bronckhorst's disposal should be heralded as a major positive going into what is now a crucial European encounter.

Dubbed a 'fantastic talent' by ex-Teddy Bears boss Steven Gerrard, last season the enigmatic Colombian scored 19 times and provided eight assists in 42 appearances across all competitions, netting six times in Europe in the process.

Qualifying from this round, and indeed beyond, would bring about a much-needed financial windfall that would allow Rangers to compete with substantiation in the market, an area Celtic are seemingly ahead on at present given their guaranteed participation in the group stage in 2022/23.

Goals in the side and a fever-pitch Ibrox atmosphere are going to be pivotal if the Gers are going to get over the line and the inclusion of the £11.7million valued Morelos in the squad certainly enhances the chances of another famous night.