Alfredo Morelos has 'a load of players breathing down his neck' and could lose his place in the Rangers starting XI, Frank McAvennie has told Football Insider.

The lowdown

The 25-year-old has scored four goals in 11 Premiership appearances for Rangers so far this season, having taken a total of 43 shots (via FBRef). For context, Fashion Sakala - the hat-trick hero against Motherwell - has the same goal tally from just 13 attempts.

Morelos, who earns £33,000 per week at Ibrox, has also yet to open his account in Rangers' Europa League campaign, with his only continental goals this season coming in qualifying.

The Daily Record's Keith Jackson has said that summer arrival Sakala now looks 'ready to make a real challenge for a regular starting place'.

The latest

Morelos recently netted his 100th Rangers goal, but McAvennie has said that the milestone won't influence Steven Gerrard's thinking, instead claiming that a sustained drought could see the 25-year-old drop to the substitutes' bench.

"It's obviously impressive," he told Football Insider of Morelos' century. "It's a massive boost to him but to Gerrard, it means nothing.

"He's still not scored enough goals this season. Gerrard knows it, I know it, he knows it. He's underperformed.

"That record won't save him if he goes another four or five games without scoring.

"He has a load of players breathing down his neck as well. The only way to stay in the side as a striker is to score goals.

"Record or not, he will be dropped if he doesn't keep scoring."

The verdict

One thing which might work in Morelos' favour is his unique style of play among Rangers' forward line.

Indeed, Jackson describes him and Sakala as 'very different strikers', with the Colombian more of 'a focal point' and the Zambian basing his game on 'movement in behind defenders'. Kemar Roofe also offers 'something different', according to Scott McDermott.

It's not quite as simple as taking Morelos out of the team if he's not firing, because Rangers would also need to change the way they play, and that might cause damaging disruption in the final third.

In other news, this Gers player came under heavy fire from some fans on Sunday