Champions League play-off: Rangers goal-king Colak keeping Morelos out of the team

Giovanni van Bronckhorst has hailed in-form Rangers striker Antonio Colak has he explained his reasons why Alfredo Morelos was kept on the bench against PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday night.

The Croatia international scored for a fourth successive game in the 2-2 Champions League play-off first-leg draw with the Dutch side at Ibrox.

Colak, who signed from PAOK this summer for £1.8million, finished off a slick Gers move to make it 1-1 with a sublime first-time strike from the edge of the box.

A Tom Lawrence free-kick was fumbled over the line by PSV keeper Walter Benitez before Armando Obispo levelled the game from a corner in 78 minutes.

But as Gers chased a winner, Colak stayed on until the end with Colombian hitman Morelos an unused sub. Morelos has netted 33 times in Europe for Gers – a club record – but van Bronckhorst is happy to stick with Colak as his main striker due to the attributes he brings to the role on and off the ball.

He said: ‘It was an excellent goal against PSV, a great finish, and there is also the work he does when we don’t have the ball – his energy gives us a lot of times when we can press them at the right times.

‘So I’m happy with his performances and also with his goals. Antonio played really well so I didn’t want to change it to bring on Morelos.

‘Antonio was in the game, he was fighting, he was putting on pressure, he was dangerous, he was strong.

‘I know we have five substitutes but sometimes you have to sub when you want to change something or get some freshness in and Antonio didn’t need that.’

Van Bronckhorst was also pleased with USA defender James Sands who, after a bout of illness, replaced injured centre-half Ben Davies and faced up to PSV striker and captain Luuk de Jong.

He said: ‘James