Rangers manager admits his pain at his Europa League squad omissions

Last night, Philippe Clement expressed his disappointment at having to leave Leon Balogun, Kieran Dowell, and new recruit Oscar Cortes out of the Rangers squad for the Europa League final rounds.

Clement was dissatisfied with the players chosen by his predecessor Michael Beale for the competition’s group stages in September of last year, but he still managed to oversee draws against Sparta Prague and Aris Limassol, as well as victories over Sparta and Real Betis.

However, he was only allowed to make three positional changes to the amended roster that he submitted to UEFA yesterday in preparation for the last 16 double header next month.

Balogun, a Nigerian center defender who has been a steady performer in Scotland since October but was not part of the original squad, would not be included in the continent’s future squads.

Dowell, an English midfielder who played in the Champions League qualifiers against Servette and PSV Eindhoven in August, is now recovering from surgery and will not be available until next month at the earliest. But will not be eligible to play if the Glasgow team defeats their next opponents and progresses.

Colombian winger Cortes, who was signed from Lens on loan until the end of the season on Thursday and who could make his debut in the cinch Premiership match against Livingston in Govan this afternoon along with his fellow new boy Mohamed Diomande, is also omitted.

Jose Cifuentes, who was on the verge of a loan move to Cruziero in Brazil yesterday night, Dowell, and Sam Lammers, who has headed to Utrecht in his native Netherlands till the end of the season, all leave, while Mohamed Diomande, Fabio Silva, and Ridvan Yilmaz join.

Clement, who had to choose eight locally trained or homegrown players, called the team he inherited from Beale “unusual” and stated that not being able to include Balogun, Cortes, and Dowell had been difficult.