Rangers boss Russell Martin: Panathinaikos Champions League tie is big but won't define season

Rangers head coach Russell Martin admits he is starting off his time in charge with a huge match but insists it won’t define the team’s season.

Martin will see his team in competitive action for the first time on Tuesday when they face Panathinaikos in the first leg of their Champions League qualifier at Ibrox.

Defeat over two legs would see them miss out on the elite competition and the tens of millions of pounds that brings, while victory would give Martin and his players a huge boost amid a season of change at Rangers.

The new regime have made a handful of first-team signings already, and plan more, but Martin and his coaching staff have only had a few weeks to get their ideas across and get a new-look side to gel together.

Asked if it was a challenge to have a game of such magnitude before he had even seen the side play in a domestic match, he rejected the idea that the whole campaign would be judged on what happens over the next two weeks.

“It’s not going to be a season-defining game,” Martin said. “It’s not.

“It’s a really, really big game, but it’s a long season, and it will be defined by what we do between now and May.

“You can build it up to be a big game, and it is that. Every game is a must-win at Rangers.

“But it’s not season-defining.”

The head coach revealed that summer recruit Thelo Aasgaard is set to miss the game but said Cyriel Dessers, Hamza Igamane and Djeidi Gassama are all fit enough to play some part over 90 minutes.

But he said that regardless of the team he puts out now, they have to impress.

“The squad will look very different in five weeks,” he said. “I’m convinced of that.

“But the squad we have now have to put in a performance that looks like us, feels like us, one that we can build off and ultimately win the game.”

After just a few friendlies so far, Martin admitted he is eagerly anticipating a big night at Ibrox.

“I’m excited about it and looking forward to the game,” he said.

“I’ve said that to the players, that with all the work they have put in over the last four weeks, they should be really excited about it.

“It’s all been geared towards this.”

Martin also revealed that he’ll be learning about his players even as they take on the challenge of the Greek side, with a Champions League test providing a definitive verdict on how much progress they have made already.

“We’ll find out tomorrow [how ready we are],” he said. “In terms of preparation work, physically, tactically and the connections between the players and us and how we work, I have been so pleased.

“But four weeks is not a long time, and so I think tomorrow is going to be a big test to see how far along we are and how much work we have to do.

“I think that’s the most important bit for us as a coaching staff that tomorrow we will learn a lot about the group and a lot about what we need to prioritise moving forward over the next few weeks.”