Michael Stewart has predicted Glasgow Rangers will need to sell players after failing to reach the group stages of the Champions League.

The Lowdown: Gers receive CL blow

After winning the Premiership last term, the Gers will have been hopeful of reaching this season's Champions League group stages and securing the financial boost which comes along with that.

However, they fell at the first hurdle, losing 4-2 on aggregate to Malmo in the third qualifying round.

The Latest: Stewart makes prediction

Taking to Twitter following the 55-time Scottish champions' defeat to the Swedish side, Stewart wrote:

"Champions League money isn’t coming into Ibrox and surely that’ll mean they need to sell players to try and balance this years accounts. Which will obviously have an impact on the team on the pitch."

The Verdict: Harsh but true

While this is something that many Rangers fans will not want to hear, it may unfortunately come to pass. Several Gers players have the ability to play at a higher level - Glen Kamara (Transfermarkt) and Alfredo Morelos, for example, competed at Euro 2020 and the Copa America respectively this summer and are entering the prime years of their career.

Neither have appeared in the Champions League before these two matches - they will likely want to play on that stage regularly.

Perhaps the one saving grace in some cases is that, if the Gers win the Premiership again this season, they will automatically receive a spot in the group stages of Europe's premier club competition. Therefore, some of their top players may decide to give it one last chance at Ibrox.

In other news, Rangers fans were livid at this SPFL move.