Anxious times for proud Steven Gerrard as he monitors Rangers' globe-trotting players

Like so many other club managers, Steven Gerrard will be watching with a mixture of pride and anxiety as the action unfolds across the world during the current international break.

Alfredo Morelos has scored one goal in seven friendly appearances for Colombia and is bidding to make his competitive debut in their World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Peru (Photo MIGUEL ROJO/AFP via Getty Images)

Gerrard has consistently spoken of how enthusiastic he always is to see any of his Rangers players called up by their countries. It’s clearly a sincere sentiment from a man who represented England 114 times during his own playing career.

But Gerrard will nonetheless be counting the days until the end of next week when he can fully assess what impact, if any, national duty has on his preparations for the first Old Firm game of the season at Celtic Park on 17 October.

Eleven of Rangers’ first team squad were named in their senior international squads for a geographical spread of fixtures ranging from the south side of Glasgow to the west of the Andes.

Jon McLaughlin and Ryan Jack

Goalkeeper McLaughlin and midfielder Jack are both in the Scotland squad for Thursday night’s Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Israel at Hampden.

McLaughlin is likely to play second fiddle to David Marshall in Scotland’s biggest qualifier for 13 years, but could get some game time in the UEFA Nations League games at the national stadium against Slovakia on Sunday and Czech Republic next Wednesday.

Midfielder Jack will hope to add to his five caps, although Gerrard has warned that the 28-year-old ‘needs to be looked after’, having only just returned to action with Rangers after injury.

Robby McCrorie, the 22-year-old Rangers goalkeeper currently on loan at Livingston, is also in Steve Clarke's squad.

Steven Davis and Jordan Jones

Midfielder Davis will break Pat Jennings’ record as Northern Ireland’s most capped player if, as expected, he makes his 120th appearance for his country in their Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo on Thursday night.

Winger Jones is looking to add to his nine caps so far for Northern Ireland and will have further opportunities in the UEFA Nations League games against Austria in Belfast on Sunday and Norway in Oslo next Wednesday.

Borna Barisic

The left-back did not feature in Croatia’s 2-1 friendly win against Switzerland in St Gallen on Wednesday as he nurses an injury which saw him limp out of Rangers’ league game against Ross County at Ibrox last Sunday.

But Barisic remains with the Croatian squad who have returned to Zagreb where they will host the UEFA Nations League fixtures against Sweden on Sunday and world champions France next Wednesday.

Filip Helander

The central defender was named in Sweden’s squad for their friendly against Russia in Moscow and the UEFA Nations League games away to Croatia and Portugal. But he missed out on adding to his 12 caps for his country when, after meeting up with the squad, he was sent home because of a minor injury.

Helander did not feature in Rangers’ matchday squad against Ross County last Sunday but assistant-manager Gary McAllister insisted afterwards there was no major issue.

Glen Kamara

The midfielder appeared as a 62nd minute substitute for Finland as they were thumped 5-1 by Poland in a friendly in Gdansk on Wednesday night.

Kamara was a key player in helping his country qualify for the Euro 2020 finals, the first time they will have appeared at a major tournament. He is expected to return to the starting line-up for the UEFA Nations League matches against Bulgaria and Republic of Ireland in Helsinki on Sunday and next Wednesday.

Ianis Hagi

The Romanian playmaker hopes to help his country take a step closer to the Euro 2020 finals when they face Iceland in Reykjavik in their play-off semi-final on Thursday night.

Hagi, capped 11 times so far, then has UEFA Nations League fixtures against Norway in Oslo on Sunday and Austria in Ploiesti next Wednesday.

Cedric Itten

The big striker made his third appearance for Switzerland as a second half substitute in their 2-1 friendly defeat at home to Croatia on Wednesday.

Itten, who scored three goals in his first two games for his country, may get opportunities to add to that tally in their daunting UEFA Nations League fixtures against Spain in Madrid on Saturday and then Germany in Cologne next Tuesday.

Leon Balogun

The central defender is part of a Nigerian squad largely composed of European-based players who are playing two friendly internationals, against Algeria on Friday and Tunisia next Tuesday, both taking place in Sankt Veit an der Glan in southern Austria.

Balogun, who returned to the Rangers starting line-up against Ross County, has been capped 32 times by the Super Eagles who are scheduled to resume competitive action next month with home and away Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Sierra Leone.

Alfredo Morelos

The Colombian international striker faces the longest travelling itinerary of any of the Rangers players as his country begin their bid to qualify for the 2022 World Cup Finals.

Morelos has scored one goal in seven friendly appearances for Colombia so far and is hoping to make his competitive debut for Carlos Queiroz’s side who have a home game against Venezuela in Barranquilla in the early hours of Saturday morning UK time before going on to face Peru in Santiago four days later.

It means Morelos will be the last of the Rangers players to return to Glasgow next week, probably only having one training session with Gerrard's squad before a Saturday lunchtime kick-off at Celtic Park.

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