Team news and stats ahead of Lyon vs Rangers in the Europa League group stage on Thursday; kick-off 5.45pm.

Team news

Giovanni van Bronckhorst is set to ring the changes for Rangers' Europa League dead rubber against Lyon on Thursday.

The Dutchman guided the Scottish champions into the knockout round play-offs in his first game as Steven Gerrard's successor with a 2-0 home win over Sparta Prague last month.

The French side have dominated Group A with five wins out of five to take them into the next stage as section winners ahead of the final fixture.

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With a tough cinch Premiership game away to Hearts on Sunday looming, Van Bronckhorst, who has won all four games since taking over the Ibrox hot seat, will utilise his squad with players such as Nathan Patterson, John Lundstram and Scott Wright in line for a start.

"We have to watch the physical state of my players closely," said the former Gers midfielder, who will assess his squad's fitness following their final training session, although defender Leon Balogun remains out with a knock.

"It is also a game where I can change some positions and give other players some minutes who need them. I am more than comfortable to do that. For the players who come in it is always good to have minutes."

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How to follow

Follow Lyon v Rangers with our dedicated live blog across Sky Sports' digital platforms.

Opta stats

• Lyon won 2-0 in the reverse fixture on MD1, earning them a second win from three matches against Rangers in European competition, also beating them in the previous matchup in the UEFA Champions League in December 2007.
• Rangers' only previous visit to Lyon in European competition saw them defeat the French side 3-0 in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League in 2007-08, with goals from Lee McCulloch, Daniel Cousin and DaMarcus Beasley.
• Lyon are unbeaten in 10 home matches in European competition (W4 D6), winning their last three in a row. It's their longest unbeaten home run in Europe since an 18-game run in the UEFA Champions League between September 2003 and December 2006 (W12 D6).
• Rangers are winless in five away games in European competition (D3 L2), with only eight goals being scored in total across those matches. They last went on a longer winless run on the road in Europe between May 2008 and July 2018 (14 games).
• Lyon forward Karl Toko Ekambi has been directly involved in more goals than any other player in the UEFA Europa League this season (8), scoring six times and providing two assists to propel Lyon to five straight victories in the competition in 2021-22.

All the key Europa League dates

Round of 16: March 10 & 17 2022
Quarter-finals: April 7 & 14 2022
Semi-finals: April 28 & May 5 2022
Final: May 18 2022 (Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium, Seville)

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