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Steven Gerrard planning to trim Rangers squad

Steven Gerrard planning to trim Rangers squad
© Reuters
The Rangers manager is ready to let a handful of players leave from his first-team squad.

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is ready to trim his first-team squad following their pre-season training camp.

The Gers rounded off a trip to Portugal with a 2-0 training-ground win over Mansfield on Saturday when 30 players were handed action.

Gerrard had already left the likes of Graham Dorrans, Eros Grezda, Jordan Rossiter, Jason Holt and Kyle Lafferty at home when flying out to the Algarve.

Young players such as Jamie Barjonas and Josh McPake supplemented the squad in Portugal but Gerrard will tighten things up as he prepares for their Europa League opener on July 11.

He told Rangers TV: "We have naturally got a big squad at the moment so some will drop out and by doing that, the quality will rise as well.

"That isn't to say not everyone has quality – it just naturally happens when you have less numbers.

"It has been a fantastic week and the boys have applied themselves very well and we are probably slightly ahead of where I thought we would be right now."

Rangers host Oxford in a friendly on Sunday before facing St Joseph's of Gibraltar or Kosovan side Prishtina in the Europa League. The scores are tied at 1-1 ahead of the second leg in the British territory this week.

Gerrard said: "We're not ready for it right now, but there is still time. We'll have another strong week in terms of hitting them leg-wise and then we will naturally come off them.

"But by the time that first game comes around, we'll be ready to compete and get the job done when we have to."

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Steven Gerrard pictured before Rangers' Scottish Premiership clash with Celtic on March 31, 2019
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
Championship Group
1Celtic330087285987
2RangersRangers430184295584
3Hearts311149371266
4Kilmarnock31114538755
5St Mirren31024247-546
6Dundee40044867-1941
Relegation Group
1Aberdeen33004149-844
2Motherwell32015554143
3Hibernian31024858-1042
4Ross County31023564-2933
5St Johnstone30032652-2631
RLivingston32012764-3724
 
First Phase
1Celtic33246380265478
2RangersRangers33243672234975
3Hearts33195946341262
4Kilmarnock33131284334951
5St Mirren33127143843-543
6Dundee331011124454-1041
7Hibernian33912124451-739
8Motherwell33813124651-537
9Aberdeen33811143549-1435
10St Johnstone33710162446-2231
11Ross County3379173256-2430
RLivingston3339212259-3718


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