Rangers’ Defender John Souttar Insists There Can Be No Excuses for Champions League Clash with Dynamo Kyiv

As Rangers prepare for their crucial Champions League encounter with Dynamo Kyiv, defender John Souttar has issued a stern warning to his teammates, stating that there can be no excuses for underperformance. The Scottish defender’s remarks come amidst a backdrop of chaos at the club, with issues ranging from uncertainty over their return to Ibrox Stadium to a lackluster start to the Premiership campaign.

Cyriel Dessers, above left, doesn’t look too happy after Rangers’ performance at Tynecastle

Despite these setbacks, Souttar remains confident that the team can navigate the challenges ahead, emphasizing that they must focus on the aspects of the game that they can control. “As players, we concentrate on the football and everything we can control, we do. We are looking forward to Tuesday,” he said.

Defender John Souttar, above right, says the Ibrox side have to improve against Dynamo Kyiv

However, Souttar acknowledges that a significant improvement in performance will be required to overcome the Ukrainian side, which enjoyed a weekend of rest and convincingly dispatched Partizan Belgrade in the previous round. “We will have to step it up (from Tynecastle),” he said. “As a group, we are confident we can go there and get a positive result.”

There was a blow for the visitors when Oscar Cortes was injured and had to be taken off

The defender’s sentiments were echoed by manager Philippe Clement, who demanded more from his players during the 0-0 draw against Hearts. With the stakes high and the pressure mounting, Rangers will need to channel their focus and determination to overcome the obstacles ahead and secure a positive result against Dynamo Kyiv.

Connor Barron, above right, was the only new face in Rangers’ starting XI against Hearts