Philippe Clement says Rangers have to show their quality in Manchester United clash

Philippe Clement is confident his Rangers side can rise to the occasion and cause problems for Manchester United in their Europa League clash.

The sides meet at Old Trafford in an eagerly anticipated ‘Battle of Britain’ match that could be crucial to Rangers’ ambitions of going deep into the tournament.

United have been in dismal form domestically with new manager Ruben Amorim having been very open about the struggles the team is having. The home side are still favourites for Thursday’s match but there’s an intense focus on the Red Devils.

Clement is blanking out everything surrounding the game and urging his players to bring their best game to hope for a positive result.

“Of course we know what to expect,” the Rangers manager said. “The most important thing for my group is to be focused on ourselves and not all the noise around them.

“It’s about a football game. We need to show our qualities. We need to get the best out of everybody.

“It’s not about all the noise around us. It’s about what we do on the pitch with and without a ball.

“And that the team is doing better and better, the last couple of months, that’s what we need to show tomorrow, to write history here.”

Clement pointed to the recent 3-0 win over Celtic as an example of what Rangers can deliver at their best and wants a repeat.

“I’m confident the players can embrace this big stage,” he said. “They proved it in Old Firm game and in Europe.

“The spotlight is on them and it’s a massive opportunity for them against some of the best players in the world. It’s a huge challenge.”

The manager revealed that Jack Butland is back in training and available, while Tom Lawrence is also back in the first team picture after injury. However, he also reflected on a long injury list, the suspension of Mohamed Diomande and the absence of Ianis Hagi and Clinton Nsiala, who are not registered for European competition.

“We will miss quite a few players, around eight who could be in the starting XI,” Clement said.

“But it’s about all the team digging in together and getting results like they’ve been doing in the last couple of months. It’s not a new situation.”