Rangers Out-on-loan Star ‘Still Needs To Fully Grasp’ Ideas Of New Boss | OneFootball

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Rangers midfielder Thelo Aasgaard is not expected to feature in Anderlecht’s starting lineup for their Europa League opener because he ‘still needs to fully grasp’  the tactical demands of boss Vitor Bruno.

The 24-year-old left Ibrox just a year after joining the Gers, completing a move to Belgium during the final lap of the summer window.

Anderlecht paid £1m to secure Aasgaard’s services on a season-long loan deal, with the Belgian outfit also holding a £5m option to make the midfielder’s move permanent at the end of the campaign.

Although Aasgaard was a regular presence during his sole season in Glasgow, former Rangers boss Jim Duffy had previously questioned whether the Norwegian possessed the credentials to succeed at Ibrox.

Aasgaard made his Anderlecht debut on Friday night against Mechelen, coming off the bench as the club eased him into life with his new surroundings.

The midfielder will now be hoping for a chance to make his mark on the European stage when Anderlecht welcome Lyon to Lotto Park on Wednesday for their opening Europa League fixture.

However, Aasgaard is not expected to be handed a starting berth against the French outfit.

According to Belgian daily La Derniere Heure (via Anderlecht-Online.be), Aasgaard ‘still needs to fully grasp’ Bruno’s tactical demands.

The midfielder’s ‘movement needs to be refined, and he needs to drop deeper between the lines’, with Bruno seemingly keen to introduce him gradually rather than throw him straight into the deep end.

Aasgaard will nevertheless be determined to make an impression if called upon against Lyon, with a strong cameo potentially helping him move closer to a starting role in the weeks ahead.

The Norwegian would not have tasted European football this season had he remained at Ibrox, with Rangers suffering a disappointing early exit from the Europa League and then Conference League qualifiers.

Meanwhile, Derek McInnes’ side did enjoy a major boost on Sunday, producing a massive 3-0 victory over Celtic to progress to the next round of the Scottish League Cup.

The Gers will now be eager to carry that momentum into the weekend, when they come up against Celtic again, this time looking to close the gap in the Scottish Premiership table.