Rangers boss Steven Gerrard has admitted his hope that Santi Cazorla will not be playing against the Gers on Tuesday night, as he believes that the Villarreal midfielder is a fantastic player and it is soothing to the eye to watch him.

The Gers will kick off their campaign in the Europa League on Thursday night, with a match against Spanish side Villarreal in Spain.




Cazorla will be expected to feature in the match, having just returned to action after a space of almost two years recovering from a career threatening ankle injury.

The Rangers manager, who has seen Cazorla at close quarters while both of them were still in the Premier League, insists that the 33-year-old is a great player and it is delightful to watch him play.
 


Gerrard also took time to speak about his wish of not seeing Cazorla weave his magic against his team in the Europa League. 

"I wish he wasn’t playing us tomorrow! He is a fantastic player – great on the eye and it is great for the game he is back", he told a press conference.

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Gerrard also took time to stress the importance of the game for a club such as Rangers, insisting that not many gave his team a chance to reach the group stage.

"This game highlights how far the team have come.

"I don’t think many gave us a chance of reaching this stage."

The match for Rangers will be followed by a league clash against St Johnstone on Sunday.