Rangers head coach Russell Martin is playing down the significance of their Champions League qualifier against Panathinaikos, insisting it isn’t a “season-defining” game.
They host the Greece side at Ibrox on Tuesday night in what will be Martin’s first competitive game since taking charge, with the return in Athens on July 30.
Victory will see them take on Czech side Viktoria Plzen or Swiss outfit Servette in the third qualifying round, while they will drop into Europa League qualification if they lose.
Thelo Aasgaard is a doubt for Rangers after an injury in pre-season
“It’s not going to be a season-defining game, it’s not. So it’s a really, really big game,” he said while confirming new signing Thelo Aasgaard is the only doubt for the match.
“A season is a long season, it will be defined by what we do between now and May.
“You can build it up to be that, it’s a big game. Every game for Rangers is a big game, every game is a must-win.
“But it’s not season-defining, the squad will look very different in four or five weeks, I’m convinced of that.
“The team we have now, the squad we have now, we have to put a performance that looks like us, feels like us, and one that we can build up and ultimately win the game.”
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Rangers captain James Tavernier has been speaking for the first time since Russell Martin took charge, as he also looks ahead to their Champions League qualifier vs Panathinaikos
Martin has made seven new signings this summer and is still keen to add to his squad ahead of their Scottish Premiership opener at Motherwell on August 2, live on Sky Sports.
Nasser Djiga and Max Aarons have joined the club on loan from Wolves and Bournemouth, respectively, with Djeidi Gassama, Emmanuel Fernandez, Joe Rothwell, Thelo Aasgaard and Lyall Cameron agreeing permanent deals.
“I’m excited about it, I’m looking forward to the game. The players should, with the work they’ve put in for the last four weeks, be really excited about this game now,” the former Southampton boss added.
“In terms of preparation, work, physically, tactically, the connection between the way we work, I’ve been so pleased over the four weeks, but it’s not a long time.
Max Aarons could make his competitive Rangers debut against Panathinaikos
“I think tomorrow’s going to be a real big test for us to see how far along we are, and see how much work we have to do.
“That’s the most interesting and exciting bit for us as a coaching staff, is that tomorrow we will learn a lot about the group, and learn a lot about what we need to prioritise moving forward over the next few weeks.”
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