Glasgow Rangers are back in European action this evening as they prepare to travel away to face Olympiacos in Greece in the Europa League.
The Light Blues have won two of their first three games in the league phase of the competition so far, beating FCSB 4-0 in their last outing at Ibrox.
They also beat Malmo 2-0 and were beaten 4-1 by Ligue 1 side Lyon, in what has been a fairly impressive start to their European adventure this season.
Philippe Clement’s side also come into this clash with the Greek giants off the back of a 2-1 win over Motherwell in the semi-finals of the League Cup on Sunday.
Goals from Cyriel Dessers and Nedim Bajrami completed a comeback for the Light Blues, after they found themselves 1-0 down at half-time at Hampden Park.
Clement, in particularly, will surely have been relieved by the turnaround after it was reported, by Football Insider, ahead of the match that a loss to Motherwell could have resulted in him losing his job.
The Belgian boss could be forced into a change in the middle of the park for this clash with Olympiacos, with question marks over Tom Lawrence’s availability.
Tom Lawrence's fitness concern
The Wales international started in the number ten position against Motherwell and was withdrawn from the game in the first-half after picking up an injury.
He suffered an issue with his thigh and was taken off before the break, which meant that it was serious enough that the Gers did not feel as though the midfielder could see out at least the rest of the half.
Clement substituted the former Derby County playmaker in the 36th minute, 11 minutes after Andy Halliday handed the opposition a 1-0 lead, after the Welshman went for a shot and appeared to damage his thigh.
GlasgowWorld handed him a player rating of just 4/10 for his performance in those minutes before the injury, as he failed to make an impact in the match prior to his injury issue.
The Rangers midfielder had struggled to get into the game in the opening 30 minutes or so, although he was far from the only player who found it difficult in that period, hence why the Light Blues ended up going in 1-0 down at the break.
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Losing Lawrence to injury, despite his underwhelming display against Motherwell prior to coming off, would still be a blow for Clement, due to his form over the course of this season so far.
Tom Lawrence's form for Rangers this season
The 30-year-old midfield whiz has emerged as a key player for the former Club Brugge head coach across all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign.
After a return of two goals and three assists in 23 appearances in the Scottish Premiership last season, expectations were not high for the attacking midfielder ahead of the current term.
However, Lawrence has already racked up three goals, three ‘big chances’ created, and two assists in eight appearances in the top-flight for the Gers this season, which shows that he has taken his game to the next level in terms of his contributions in the final third.
The experienced maestro, who assisted a goal in the 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen last time out in the Premiership, has showcased his ability to make an impact at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the number ten position.
Crucially, Lawrence has also stepped up in the Europa League for the Scottish giants, after managing one goal and zero assists in five appearances in the competition in the 2023/24 campaign.
Appearances
3
Sofascore rating
7.33
Goals
2
Big chances created
1
Assists
0
As you can see in the table above, the Gers ace has made a strong start to the league phase of the new-look format, with three goals and ‘big chances’ created combined in three appearances.
Lawrence found the back of the net in the wins over both Malmo and FCSB, which shows that he positively contributed to two big results for Rangers, and that is why his absence from the trip to Olympiacos is a blow.
The Rangers star who should replace Tom Lawrence
Clement will now have to replace the Welshman in the starting XI for this clash in Greece in the Europa League and the Light Blues head coach should turn to Mohamed Diomande.
The Ivorian gem could get the nod ahead of the likes of Hamza Igamane, Zak Lovelace, and Kieran Dowell to start in the number ten position this evening.
Igamane and Lovelace could be kept on the bench to provide cover in other areas of the attack, whilst keeping their youthful energy to make an impact in the second half.
Diomande, who was once hailed as “fantastic” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, should come in from the start due to his creative quality and his performance off the bench last time out in the Europa League against FCSB at Ibrox.
The 23-year-old star came off the bench at half-time against FCSB and caught the eye in the second half, with a pass success rate of 95% and one ‘big chance’ created for Vaclav Cerny, who scored the third goal on the night.
Appearances
8
Starts
7
Goals
1
Big chances created
3
Assists
2
As you can see in the table above, Diomande has also offered attacking quality in the Premiership for the Light Blues this season, with three direct contributions in seven starts.
In his three appearances in the Europa League, though, the central midfielder has also showcased his defensive abilities, with 2.0 tackles and interceptions per game and a duel success rate of 52%, which shows that he can hold himself in physical contests.
Therefore, the 23-year-old dynamo could be a smart selection in the number ten position in a European away match, as he can provide defensive protection in front of Connor Barron and Nicolas Raskin, whilst also having the ability to make an impact in the final third.
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