James Tavernier Rangers recall explained as Philippe Clement message rings loud and clear

Philippe Clement insists James Tavernier is simply part of his rotation system at Rangers.

The captain was restored to the starting line-up for tonight's clash against Hearts after being dropped in the midweek Europa League draw away to Olympiacos. Tavernier, 33, appeared to have slipped down the pecking order to third-choice right-back after Dujon Sterling was given the nod in Athens before being replaced by Neraysho Kasanwirjo from the bench.

Tavernier was thrown on for Jefte on the left-hand side for the final five minutes, prompting fans and pundits to question his long-term role at Ibrox. But the long-serving defender led the Light Blues out in Govan tonight as Clement reiterated the need to freshen his squad as they deal with a hectic domestic and European fixture schedule.

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He told BBC Sportsound: "It's not about one person, I'm looking for a good performance from everybody. I made a rotation on Thursday. I made a rotation today. We will play around 60 games this season.

"I want consistency. You get that from learning, from connections and experiences together. We need to build a squad that can play every three days the way we played against Olympiakos."