- Danny Rohl confirms Rangers players return for pre-season training on June 19 ahead of Europa League qualifiers.
- Rangers face major squad overhaul after multiple departures, releases and returning loanees leaving Ibrox.
- Lawrence Shankland expected to boost Rohl’s rebuild with shock move from Hearts nearing completion.
Rangers head coach Danny Rohl has confirmed the return date for his squad to begin pre-season training for the German’s first full campaign in charge at Ibrox.
With Celtic’s victory over Dunfermline Athletic in the Scottish Cup final this past weekend, Rangers have confirmed their place in the Europa League’s third qualifying round.
Rangers European path revealed
This means the Ibrox club will face their first European matches on August 6 and August 13. With the Premiership set to kick off on Saturday, August 1.
Rangers will kick off their domestic season on Sunday August 2.
However, due to the first leg and are expected to be on their travels on the opening day due to Celtic’s last-day title win over Hearts.
Had Neil Lennon’s side won the cup, it would have relegated Rangers into the Europa Conference League.
This would have meant entering at the second qualifying round stage on July 23.
Thanks to the Hoops victory, they now they have an extra two weeks to prepare for their continental campaign.
Danny Rohl outlines Rangers’ pre-season schedule
Now, Rohl has revealed that the Gers will return on June 19 for pre-season training.
While he also spoke about potential friendlies in his homeland.
Speaking to BILD, he said: “I would have liked to have planned a little tour of eastern Germany for us.
“We’ll start training again on June 19th because we expect to start the European Cup qualifying rounds early.
“That would be too tight a schedule.”
A tighter group for Danny Rohl to work with
We earlier reported that many Ibrox players have been told they have no futures at the club. Returning loanees Ross McCausland, Lyall Cameron, Clinton Nsiala and Danilo have no place in Rohl’s plans.
Elsewhere, Jose Cifuentes is also surplus to requirements at Ibrox, but Toronto head coach Robin Fraser has not yet ruled out a permanent move to the MLS for the Ecuadorian midfielder.
Nedim Bajrami has also been told he has no future at Rangers and will not return to the first team under Rohl.
With Leon King, Kieran Wright and Ben Davies all released alongside long-serving captain James Tavernier, Rohl will be working with a smaller unit to start off with.
The future of Bailey Rice also remains unresolved, with the 19-year-old out of contract this summer.
Loanees Max Aarons, Mikey Moore, Nasser Djiga, Andreas Skov Olsen, Jayden Meghoma and Derek Cornelius have also said their final farewells to Ibrox.
Rohl will however, likely be boosted by the upcoming transfer for Hearts captain Lawrence Shankland, who is set to complete a shock move to Rangers this week.
