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New Rangers manager Michael Beale has told his players they will all get a chance to stake their claim against Bayer Leverkusen.
Beale wants his players to show their desire to be part of his Ibrox era when they play the German side in a friendly in Govan on Saturday.
His first competitive match in charge will come five days later at home to Hibernian and he told Rangers TV: “Every player this weekend will be given an opportunity.
Leverkusen have endured an inconsistent first portion of the 2022-23 campaign, sitting 12th in the Bundesliga table on 18 points from 15 matches played under Xabi Alonso.
Following a poor start to the season, the former Liverpool man replaced Swiss coach Gerardo Seoane at the helm in October, leading to a steady upturn in fortunes at the BayArena in recent times.
Leverkusen are unbeaten in their last four matches in all competitions, with a three-game winning streak in the league restoring confidence amongst supporters that the club is on an upward trajectory.
Alonso has also managed to guide his side by the skin of their teeth into the knockout rounds of the Europa League by finishing third in Champions League Group B ahead of Atletico Madrid, giving Leverkusen hope they can delve deep into the competition in 2023.
On Saturday, Leverkusen will look to utilise this friendly encounter to prepare for their Bundesliga return in January, though the mid-season break in Germany will not see them return to action until later in the
In the week that the Bulls lost their most famous ex-player, FA Cup legend Ronnie Radford – 50 years on from his iconic match-winning goal against Newcastle – it briefly looked like there might be some left-over magic in the air.
For seven minutes, the sixth-tier outfit led after Miles Storey’s goal against the team 81 places above them in the English football pyramid in League One.
But Pompey hit back, with Reeco Hackett quickly levelling before second-half goals from Colby Bishop and substitute Joe Pigott earned the twice FA Cup winners a safe passage to Monday’s second-round draw
Making their first trip to Edgar Street in 38 years, Pompey were given a good first-half workout by the fired-up hosts.
Although home keeper Dale Eve had to keep out Hackett’s left-foot curler bound for the top corner, Pompey had a first real scare when Bishop’s challenge on Hereford’s former million-pound marksman Tyrone Barnett in the visitors’ penalty box went unpunished.
And there was worse to follow for Pompey when Hereford took the lead on 26 minutes.
Sean Raggett played a loose pass inside to Hackett, who was immediately closed down and robbed by Storey – and the former Pompey player raced away down the inside-left channel before keeping his cool to nutmeg on-loan West Bromwich Albion keeper Josh Griffiths.
Fittingly, just two days on from the announcement of the sad passing of Hereford’s legendary number 11, their modern-day number 11 emulated his predecessor.
There had already been a minute’s silence, which cascaded into applause from the whole ground, followed by chants of ‘there’s only one Ronnie Radford’ when the clock showed 11 minutes.
But this goal was destined not to prove so famous.
Ronan Curtis headed down Connor Ogilvie’s far-post cross for Hackett to bring down and fire home coolly from six yards.
On 63 minutes, Portsmouth took the lead when, from Clark Robertson’s in-swinging right-foot corner from the left, Bishop timed his run to get there first and head his 10th goal of the season.
And Pigott wrapped up victory 10 minutes from time when, again from a corner by skipper Robertson, Bishop won the initial header before Pigott reacted sharpest to sidefoot home
Hereford FC boss Josh Gowling told BBC Sport:
“I’m really disappointed because we should have got something out of it, but goals change games – and the quality of the delivery they have changes games.
“In the first half we were excellent. We were in the ascendancy and they looked nervous.
“We were on top and looked like we could go on and win, but we’ve made one mistake, it has cost us a goal and that’s the difference in levels.
“We’ve given them a leg up and a little lift and you could see their performance raise after that.”
Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley told BBC Sport:
“I was so sad to hear the news about Ronnie Radford. He was such an iconic figure and he had that iconic moment. For a lot of people my age, his famous goal was their first memories of the FA Cup. But what a brilliant night to celebrate his life
“If I’m a fan, I wouldn’t look too closely at the team that starts and think, ‘that’s what the management team will go with against Hibs’.
“I have told the players everyone will have an opportunity this weekend to show me they want to be part of things.
“We don’t play friendlies. So it’s not going to be flying into tackles but I want it to be focused and intense and I want the players to show me they want to be here and the role that they can play.
“Certainly in the attacking positions, where we have got a number of players, I am going to give everyone an opportunity to stake a claim.”
Leverkusen will be without duo Jeremie Frimpong and Exequiel Palacios, who are still on international duty with their respective nations at the World Cup in Qatar.
Piero Hincapie and Sardar Azmoun could return to the fold, following their elimination at the tournament with Ecuador and Iran in the group stages.
Charles Aranguiz and Patrick Schick are both out of contention due to injury, while Paulinho and Odilon Kossounou may come back in to the lineup on Saturday.
Rangers will be without Borna Barisic for the Leverkusen fixture, due to the Croat still being involved in Qatar at the quarter-finals stage.
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Ryan Jack is fit again for selection, while John Souttar, Connor Goldson, Ianis Hagi and Filip Helander may also be permitted some time on the pitch as they step up their recovery schedules.
Tom Lawrence will once again be missing owing to a setback and will not be back until the new year at the least.
Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Fosu-Mensah, Azhil, Demirbay, Bakker; Diaby, Amiri, Hudson-Odoi
Rangers possible starting lineup:
McGregor; Tavernier, Sands, King, Yilmaz; Lundstram, Jack; Matondo, Tillman, Kent; Colak