As Ibrox Noise explained a few days ago, Erling Haaland is now a 90% certainty to miss Thursday after he had to miss the Berlin match at the weekend with yet more muscle issues.
Manager Marco Rose said:
“Erling Haaland will not be able to play (v Union).”
And there are other concerns from the German camp too, with Wolf and Meunier also major doubts to face the visiting Ibrox men this week, but it’s the Norwegian’s near-certain absence which is likely to see most tongues wagging.
He’s missed 8 matches already this season (including this one) in the Bundesliga, plus a fair few in Europe, and Thursday may just come too soon for the Norwegian superstar.
The return leg is a different story though, and he may well be ready for that one.
Rangers fans are split by this, with some being relieved due to the greater chance of progression it affords the club, while others are disappointed and want to face Dortmund at their strongest and best.
Truth?
We at Ibrox Noise are in the middle. We do want to face the best Borussa can throw at us, but equally it would take a hell of a night both evenings for Rangers to get to the last 16 of this tournament if this opposition stands in the way with Haaland up front.
We got the glamour tie we wanted, and there was potential for one of football’s biggest stars to come to Ibrox.
That could still happen.
We are just unlikely, very unlikely, to face him this week.
I’m with you guys, don’t think it does us any harm playing away from home against a weakened side. At Ibrox I fancy us against anyone with the backing of the stadium, so hopefully to still be in with a shout of qualification we can nab something over there regardless of who is missing for them.
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