Red Star Belgrade v Rangers: Eleven players facing quarter-final ban threat ahead of showdown in Serbia

Joe Aribo has joined the list of Rangers players on the verge of a suspension which could rule them out of the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final if the Scottish champions clinch a place in Friday’s draw.

Nigerian international midfielder Aribo was booked for a challenge on Red Star Belgrade’s Guelor Kanga during Rangers’ 3-0 win in the first leg of their last 16 tie at Ibrox last Thursday night.

It was his second yellow card in this season’s competition, having previously been cautioned on matchday one in the group stage when Rangers lost 2-0 at home to Lyon.

It means Aribo joins his team-mates Alfredo Morelos, John Lundstram and Fashion Sakala who were already on the UEFA suspension threshold. A booking for any of those players in the second leg against Red Star in Serbia on Thursday evening would see them automatically banned from the first leg of the quarter-final if Rangers get there.

Red Star go into the match with no fewer than seven of their players one booking away from a suspension. Defender Strahinja Erakovic and forward Ben Nabouhane both received their second cautions of the Europa League campaign at Ibrox last week to join team-mates Mirko Ivanic, Aleksandar Katai, Nenad Krsticic, Milan Pavkov and Slavoljub Srnic on the bookings threshold.

The quarter-finals are the last stage of the tournament into which pending yellow card suspensions are carried forward. On the completion of the quarter-finals, they will expire and players will go into the semi-finals with a clean slate.