Rangers without key defenders against Aris Limassol

Rangers manager Philippe Clement faces defensive selection headaches for Thursday’s crucial Europa League match with Aris Limassol.

Left-back Ridvan Yilmaz, like Balogun, is not on the Europa League squad list.

“They’re players who’ve done good things in the last few weeks,” said Clement.

“We know that if we win tomorrow, we’ll take a really big step because we can play in Europe after January and that’s an important thing for the club and the players also.

“Everybody likes to play in Europe with all the attention and the whole of Europe watching these games. It’s a good thing too for players’ careers.

“And it’s important for the club to have good European results because that bring status to your club.”

Ben Davies, Leon King and John Souttar are options to replace Balogun and Goldson at centre-back while Dujon Sterling can back up Borna Barisic at left-back.

Clement replaced Michael Beale as Rangers boss following their first two games in Group C.

And the Belgian said: “I want ambitious people here in the building. I want to create winners. That means people who want to win everything they do, not just one competition or two.

“So, I don’t prioritise one competition over another.

“There are no guarantees. You can beat Barcelona one day and three days later, if you don’t have the right mentality, you can lose to Ross County. That’s also football. So [playing in Europe beyond Christmas] doesn’t give any guarantees but of course they’re good experiences.

“You need to try to get that rhythm that you play in Europe with into your domestic games and that’s how you become better as a team.”

Team news

As well as Balogun, Goldson and Yilmaz, Rangers are missing injured midfielders Ryan Jack and Nicolas Raskin while winger Scott Wright is a fitness doubt after recent illness and muscular problems.

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What do we know about Aris?

Aris defeated APOEL 1-0 at home on Saturday to move top of the Cypriot top flight on goal difference from the visitors and Pafos. Twelve of 26 regular season fixtures have been played.

They now occupy the position in which they finished last season as they secured the title for the first time.

After being knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers, they beat Slovan Bratislava in the Europa League play-off round to reach the group stage.

October’s win over Rangers was their first in European group stage competition.

However, they have lost their three other games so far in Group C.

What they said

Rangers winger Ross McCausland: “I was at the majority of the games in the 2021-22 Europa League run and I was in Seville [for the final]. If we were to do that, which we’ve got a strong chance of doing, that would be amazing to be a part of. Coming into this game, we’ll be confident.”

Match stats

• Rangers are unbeaten in nine games in all competitions and sit second in the Scottish Premiership.
• Aris Limassol, who are top of the Cypriot first division, have lost their past two away games 4-1 – to Real Betis and Karmiotissa.
• Rangers were unbeaten in four games against Cypriot opposition (W3 D1) before losing against Aris Limassol on MD2.
• Aris have lost each of their past four away games in Europe despite scoring in each game.
• Rangers have won each of their past five home matches in the Europa League, last winning more in a row in the Uefa Cup or Europa League between 1982 and 1986 (7).
• No team has faced more shots on target in this season’s Europa League than Aris (27).
• Rangers right-back James Tavernier has been directly involved in 15 goals for the club in the Europa League (10 goals, 5 assists); since he first appeared for them in the competition in September 2018, only Alfredo Morelos has had a hand in more for the club (21).