Alfredo Morelos forgiven for false Santos start but Rangers hero's ally faces axe amid Brazilian giants crisis

Former Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos was given a pass by his manager Diego Aguirre after struggling to make an impact on his Santos debut.

But the boss is facing a fight to keep his job at the fallen Brazilian giants after the 3-0 home defeat to Cruzeiro as the former Ibrox attacker faces an uphill battle to kickstart his career away from the Scottish Premiership. Morelos endured a difficult summer after leaving Rangers at the end of last season as the free agent searched for a club - with a move to Fenerbahce collapsing late in the window - and opted to return to South America.

He was thrown in at the deep end when he was thrown on by his boss with just 17 minutes left on the clock and Santos trailing the game by three goals - with the Colombian failing to make an impression on supporters. But Aguirre was keen to let off the forward - insisting his teammates did not provide him with enough chances.

Speaking post match, Aguirre said: "The idea was to be more offensive with two attackers (when Morelos came on). The alternatives helped a little, but e are not creating offensive situations."

However, despite finding an ally in the boss Morelos may not be able to turn to him for too much longer. UOL report that club president Andrés Rueda is considering showing the man in the dugout the door after just a month in charge and contacting other candidates.

Since taking over Aguirre has led the club to four defeats in five games. They are in 17th-place and sit in the Serie A relegation zone.