Karel Geraerts in Rangers player plea as Union Saint Gilloise boss insists transfers needed for Champions League clash

Union Saint-Gilloise boss Karel Geraerts insists they are desperate for new players before they face Rangers in their massive Champions League third round qualifier after eight players left the club in the summer.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men take on the historic Belgian club who would have won their first title since 1931 last season by five points if the Belgian championship had been decided by points tally. Instead, they lost in the title play-offs to Club Brugge. Since then they have lost Belgium's top scorer Deniz Undav, who returned to Brighton following his successful loan spell. And they have also sold key Danish international midfielder Casper Nielsen to Brugge and allowed defender Matthew Sorinola to join Swansea City, as well as releasing another six players.

And new boss Geraerts insists they need new blood, despite his side handing Rangers an ominous warning in their last game by thrashing Feyenoord 4-0 in their final friendly before the start of their league season against Sint-Truiden this weekend. He said: "It is clear that we still need to strengthen and I am in discussion with the board for that. It should happen quickly.

"When a player like Casper Nielsen leaves the club then he has to be replaced. We will need a lot of players this season with European football too. Hopefully, there will be no further departures. The players currently at the club feel good and are motivated to meet the challenges that await the team this season.

"Pre-season has been good. We have also drawn against Brighton and Sporting Lisbon. The most important thing for me was that I was able to integrate a lot of younger players into the squad."

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