Pundit backs Clement to make Robin Propper decision for Rangers showdown v Malmo

Philippe Clement will start Robin Propper for Rangers’ Europa League opener with Malmo despite his slow start in Scotland, according to Gordon Dalziel.

The Light Blues get their European campaign underway with a trip to Sweden on Thursday (26 September) as they look to kick off the new-look group stage with three points.

Although Clyde 1 pundit Dalziel has been less than impressed with Propper’s start to life in a Gers shirt, he expects the Dutchman to partner John Souttar in Sweden, with Leon Balogun set to watch on from the bench.

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard (24 September, 37::35) he said: “I’ve not been impressed with Propper.

“I’ve not been impressed with him. I think Balogun gives you the comfort of going higher up the pitch, he gives you the pace and I like him as a defender.

“Sometimes you’ve got to form a partnership and he [Propper] is just through the door. You need to give him time with Souttar.

“I think he’ll play, that’s what he was brought to the club for. I don’t think he’ll do that.

“I like Balogun, but I do think Propper was brought to the club to play in these games and I think the manager will stick with him.”

Will Robin Propper start Rangers Europa League clash with Malmo?

Rangers signed Propper for these exact games. The Dutchman was brought to Glasgow to add some defensive steel to Clement’s side and while he hasn’t hit the ground running, the Gers cannot drop him for Thursday’s clash.

If the Belgian were to axe the 30-year-old and start Balogun instead, he would all but be admitting that he had made a mistake in the transfer market and that would leave Propper in a very difficult position.

In this new-look Europa League format, it isn’t clear just how many points a team will need to progress to the next stage.

While that remains the case, the Gers have to treat every game like a must-win to ensure that they are in a good position to qualify.

With the title already beginning to look out of reach in Scotland, success in Europe has become even more important for the Light Blues this term.

They cannot afford to crash out of the Europa League before Christmas.

In other Rangers news, Clement and John Gilligan are set to be tested after new developments at Ibrox this season

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