'Nowhere near' - Keith Jackson makes Rangers prediction before Dynamo Kyiv

Rangers are “nowhere near ready” for the Champions League ahead of their qualifying round tie against Dynamo Kyiv, according to Keith Jackson.

Writing in the Daily Record’s Monday Jury (5 August, page 41), Jackson said that Philippe Clement faces a battle against Hearts for second place in the Scottish Premiership this season.

The Light Blues drew a blank in their 0-0 season opener against Hearts at Tynecastle, and face Dynamo in Lublin, Poland on Tuesday (6 August) in the first leg of their third-round qualifying tie.

Can Rangers get their season going after Hearts false start?

Being second-best for large swathes of their Tynecastle stalemate could be setting alarm bells ringing for Clement going into a difficult European tie, particularly given the nature of his post-match comments.

The Belgian’s admission that his squad is not yet as strong as the side which ended last season second to Celtic in both the Premiership and Scottish Cup does imply that they’re not yet ready to face Dynamo.

However, the Ukrainian side, who also finished second in their league last season, won’t be in a generous mood ahead of a second leg at Hampden Park, with Ibrox out of action for the season’s opening months.

Connor Barron being the only new face in Clement’s XI at Hearts does suggest that to achieve the full squad refresh he’s aiming for this summer, further arrivals must soon be through the doors.

Oscar Cortes’ injury at Tynecastle opens the door for Vaclav Cerny to start, and the quick turnaround between league and European matches will surely see Clement hand out further first-team debuts.

In other Rangers news, Neil McCann gave his view on the controversial Connor Barron handball incident at Tynecastle on Saturday.

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