Gabby Agbonlahor has given his reaction to some early Glasgow Rangers team news that has now emerged before their UEFA Europa League clash.
The Lowdown: No Morelos or Roofe
Speaking in his pre-game press conference ahead of the match, Giovanni van Bronckhorst has now confirmed that both Alfredo Morelos and Kemar Roofe will not be available for the semi-final first leg against RB Leipzig through injury.
It means that the Dutch manager will have to look for an alternative solution up top, with Fashion Sakala filling in there in the 3-1 win away at Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership over the weekend.
The Latest: Agbonlahor reacts
Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa and England international striker Agbonlahor, who is also a pundit for Sky Sports and talkSPORT, has claimed that it is a ‘big blow’ for the Teddy Bears to be without both Morelos and Roofe:
“It’s looking very tough for Rangers.
“Without Morelos and now without Roofe, that’s a big blow. It’s going to be very difficult without an out-and-out striker.
“Their best bet is to try and park the bus in that first leg. Try and get out of there alive. Even a 1-0 defeat is not the worst result, they can’t come out of that game with a 3-0, 4-0 loss.
“They can’t go in open because it’s going to be a crazy atmosphere at Leipzig are a top team. The tactics have got to be spot on, try and frustrate Leipzig and get the game back to Ibrox.
“When you’re at Ibrox, that atmosphere with a chance of getting to the final, anything can happen.
“They’ve really got to be on it in the first leg though.”
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The Verdict: Worrying
Of course, being without both strikers for the game will be worrying for the club and its supporters.
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They are the top two scorers in the squad, with no fewer than 35 goals between them in total over all competitions so far this season, and the Light Blues may need a few goals to get through the tie given Leipzig’s firepower.
Christopher Nkunku is the main threat, with a whopping 30 goals from midfield in all competitions, and so players like Sakala will now have to step up in order to overcome the Bundesliga side.
In other news, find out what big behind-the-scenes twist has now emerged at Gers here!
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