Braga v Rangers: Bookings amnesty looms for seven players on verge of Europa League suspension

Rangers managed to negotiate the second leg of their Europa League last 16 tie in a hostile atmosphere in Belgrade without incurring any fresh suspension concerns.

As they prepare for the trip to Portugal for the first leg of their quarter-final against Braga on Thursday night, they are now approaching the phase of the competition when the disciplinary slate is wiped clean.

Four Rangers players are one booking away from a ban which would rule them out of the second leg against Braga at Ibrox on April 14 – but one of those, the club’s all-time record European goalscorer Alfredo Morelos, will be absent because of injury in any case.

The other three members of Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s squad on the verge of a suspension – imposed on any player who collects three bookings over the course of the campaign – are defensive midfielder John Lundstram, playmaker Joe Aribo and striker Fashion Sakala.

Joe Aribo, pictured in action during the second leg of the Europa League last 16 tie against Red Star Belgrade, is one of the Rangers players one booking away from suspension going into the first leg of their quarter-final against Braga in Portugal on Thursday night. (Photo by Srdjan Stevanovic/Getty Images)

Braga have three players who would miss the second leg at Ibrox if they are booked in their home game on Thursday – Portuguese under-20 international left-back Francisco Moura, experienced former Porto midfielder Andre Castro and Libyan international midfielder Ali Musrati.

The quarter-finals are the last stage of the tournament into which pending yellow card suspensions are carried forward. On the completion of the quarter-finals, they will expire and players will go into the semi-finals with a clean record.

Six other Rangers players – goalkeeper Allan McGregor, left-back Borna Barisic, defender Connor Goldson, midfielders Ryan Jack, Glen Kamara and Aaron Ramsey – go into the Braga games two bookings away from a ban.

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