Rangers face a potential Europa League rematch with Progres Niederkorn as Steven Gerrard closes in on a loan deal for Liverpool youngster Sheyi Ojo.
The Anfield youngster was pictured driving into the Light Blues’ Hummel Training Centre base on Monday as the Gers squad reported back for pre-season training.
Gerrard is keen to tie down the exciting England youth international and has not given up hope of also persuading Reds boss Jurgen Klopp to allow Ryan Kent to return to Glasgow for a second year on loan.
Gerrard continues to be strongly linked with deals for Charlton midfielder Joe Aribo and Oldham’s George Edmundson and the Ibrox boss will hope to have his squad finalised ahead of their opening Europa League qualifier on July 11.
And it has now been confirmed that Luxembourg minnows Niederkorn – who dumped Pedro Caixinha’s Gers out of the competition two years ago – are among their potential opponents.
UEFA has confirmed the groupings for Tuesday’s first qualifying round draw – which takes place in Nyon at 2.30pm UK time – with B36 of the Faroe Islands, Inter Turku from Finland, Icelandic outfit KR or the winner of the preliminary clash between Kosovans Prishtina and St Joseph’s of Gibraltar also in the hat to face Gerrard’s seeds.
Aberdeen and Kilmarnock are also seeded, with the Dons set to face either Latvia’s Liepaja, Estonians Levadia Tallinn, Irish side Saint Patrick’s, Finns RoPS Rovaniemi, or the winners of the preliminary ties involving Faroe Islands minnows KI and Tre Fiori from San Marino or Welsh side Barry Town and Northern Ireland’s Cliftonville.
Killie’s new boss Angelo Alessio will preside over the club’s first European adventure since 2002 against either Ireland’s Shamrock Rovers, Connah’s Quay Nomads of Wales, Finnish side KuPS Kuopio, Iceland’s Breidablik or the winner of Northern Ireland’s Ballymena and NSÍ of the Faroe Islands.
The draw for the Europa League’s second round is on Wednesday but only Gers and the Dons will be seeded.
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