Rangers in Standard Liege pre-season stalemate as 4 big names including James Tavernier left out

Rangers continued their pre-season preparations with a goalless draw in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Standard Liege.

Boss Philippe Clement fielded two different teams for each half, with only Jack Butland retaining his place. The likes of Jefte, Clinton Nsiala Connor Barron and Oscar Cortes were all given minutes but there were four notable absentees. Captain James Tavernier, Todd Cantwell, Dujon Sterling and Danilo were all left out of the game, which took place at the Sporting Club near Venlo.

Tavernier has been heavily linked with a move to Saudi Arabia, while Todd Cantwell is also said to be attracting interest from the Middle East. Meanwhile Danilo - a £6million signing from Feyenoord last summer - is back on the training ground after suffering a season-ending knee injury at Tynecastle in December.

It was a pretty non-eventual first-half in Holland, with Cortes and Ross McCausland tasting the best opportunities for the Light Blues. And the deadlock couldn't be broken in the second 45 either as Clement named a more youthful line up including Cole McKinnon, Robbie Fraser and Findlay Curtis, with Alex Lowry and Rabbi Matondo coming off the bench. Connor Goldson also made his comeback after missing the end of last season through injury.

It's the first of five warm-up matches the League Cup holders have arranged over the next month. The Light Blues face Dutch giants Ajax at the home of WHC Wezep on Saturday before taking on Manchester United at Murrayfield on a week later. Around 7,000 Rangers fans will then make the trip to St Andrew's on Wednesday July 24 to face Birmingham City. Gers will then round off their pre-season schedule away to Union Berlin in Germany three days later.

First-half XI: Butland; Yilmaz, Souttar, Davies, King; Barron, Diomande, Lawrence; Cortes, McCausland, Dessers.

Second-half XI: Butland; Jefte, Nsiala, Goldson, Balogun; McKinnon, Raskin, Dowell, Fraser, Wright, Curtis.