HIS questionable attitude amid interest from French suitors Lille and lack of both fitness and form up front prompted Steven Gerrard to drop Alfredo Morelos from his squad entirely last month.

But the Rangers manager will look to a man who broke an all-time UEFA club competition scoring record last season by netting 14 times before Christmas to help his side negotiate a treacherous one-off Europa League qualifier in the Netherlands tonight.

Willem II may not be as famous a name as Legia Warsaw, Young Boys, Porto or Feyenoord – who Morelos was on target against during a remarkable run to the last 16 of the competition in the 2019/20 campaign.

The Tilburg club, though, promise to be every bit as difficult to overcome in an away encounter the visitors must win outright if they are to go through to face Galatasaray or Hajduk Split in the play-off next week.

Gerrard is hoping the return to the Europa League will, despite the fact there will once again be no fans in attendance due to the coronavirus pandemic, bring out the very best in his mercurial striker.

“I think Alfredo has been excellent in this competition for us so far,” he said. “We know he is a real threat. As a team, we have to supply him with the right service. But he is definitely capable of playing well at this level because he has done it numerous times.

“He is really excited about playing in Europe. He knows for himself that he has to perform if he is selected to play at this level. He knows there are a lot of eyes on him. There is a big demand from myself, the coaching staff and his team mates because we put a lot of responsibility on him.”

Gerrard oversaw, due in no small part to the brilliance of the Colombian in the final third, some outstanding results on the road in Europe last season. Rangers travelled to Denmark, Portugal and the Netherlands and picked up draws and victories. He believes exactly the same level of performance will be required in the Koning Willem II Stadium for them to prevail once more.

“I have to give credit to players,” he said. “Every challenge we have faced under pressure in Europe, home or away, the players seem to bring a laser-focus.

“There is almost a touch of fear about them, in that they know what they have to give and bring to the table. Because with some of the teams we have faced, if you don’t bring that A game there is a real chance of being embarrassed at this level.”

The former Liverpool and England midfielder understands what an important role the legions of Rangers supporters who followed them overseas have played in those successes. He admitted that not having any fans cheering them on tonight would be detrimental to their chances.

But Gerrard has stressed to his charges in the build-up to the third round match that their followers will be willing them on at home and underlined the importance of giving them another triumph to cheer.

“The fans have played a huge part in our journeys in Europe,” he said. “I’m sure the players would echo that. When you turn up in a country and see thousands and thousands of fans, it gives you a huge lift and puts a smile on your face. You know they are with you.

“We have to remember they are still with us, even though they are not here. We know they will be watching on the TV and supporting us from back home. But it’s different. It’s not the same.

“I feel for the players and for the supporters. These nights should be the highlights of your career, nights you tell your kids and grandkids about – when you went to Holland and Portugal and other countries and played in front of thousands of Rangers fans.

“Unfortunately, that has been taken away from us at the moment, but we respect and understand the situation we are in.”

Willem II are only playing in Europe for the fifth time in their history. But they beat Ajax, AZ Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven in the Eredivisie last term and finished in fifth place in the Dutch top flight. Gerrard expects them to be every bit as difficult to beat as Feyenoord were in the group stages last term.

“I think Willem II punch about their weight in terms their budget,” he said. “They had a fantastic season and have a good manager. They have recruited really well and have some really dangerous players. We are under no illusions here. It’s a tough game, a tough challenge.

“The players sampled it last season against Feyenoord, home and away. They were two hard-fought games and the players were left knowing you have to empty the tank for sure when you face these teams. But I believe if the players can give me what they normally do in these situations, I have confidence we can get the job done.”

There will, with no second leg in Glasgow to look forward to, be no point in Rangers taking a cautious approach to the 90 minutes. Gerrard, who became the first man to lead a club through four qualifying rounds twice last year, feels his charges will need to go on the offensive.

“It is different,” he said. “It is a unique situation. It does take away a slight advantage for us if the game was over two legs and we had the opportunity to take the game back to our home ground. But to get through this new process under the Covid restrictions then it’s going to be a harder and tougher challenge than previous last two years.

“One thing is for sure, at this level if you’re passive and stand off good players, even more than domestically, you’ll get hurt at this level.

“A big part of our performance and success throughout these qualifiers in the last couple of years and our journeys in Europe have really stemmed from a solid base defensively, our organisation, and what we’ve given out of possession.

“But that’s just one side of the game - you’ve still got to have the players and the talent in your team to go and hurt the opposition when the ball is turned over.”

Gerrard continued: “We’ve got to use the experience and tap into the knowledge of the two journeys we’ve had in Europe over the last couple of seasons. The players individually and collectively have got to tap into what it took to have those successful journeys. The players know what’s needed and what it takes to get a result away in Europe.

“That’s something we’ve got better at over the last couple of years. We’re capable of coming and performing at places like this and getting a positive result, but we know we have to find a performance.”