FABIO Cardoso will make his return from injury tonight when Rangers’ development squad face Berwick Rangers in a testimonial match for Steven Notman.
The Portuguese defender broke his nose in a clash with Motherwell striker Ryan Bowman during the Light Blues’ 2-0 Betfred Cup semi-final defeat last month and hasn’t featured since.
But he is set to return for Wednesday’s friendly clash at Shielfield Park and seven more first team players could also feature.
Read more: Graeme Murty: Leaving Scotland for Europe is already starting to pay off for Rangers kids
Lee Hodson, Carlos Pena, Aaron Nemane, Eduardo Herrera, Dalcio, David Bates and Liam Kelly have also been named in the travelling squad.
Interim boss Graeme Murty revealed that Graeme Dorrans is unlikely to feature against Hamilton this weekend after picking up an ankle injury, but has been encouraged by the progress of recovering captain Lee Wallace.
“Fabio trained on Monday and Tuesday and got into the whole session which is good after his nose operation,” he told rangers.co.uk.
“(Dorrans) is going to see a specialist about his ankle this week and Jordan Rossiter is progressing well.
“Lee Wallace was out on the pitch over the weekend when other people had time off. He is back on the grass this week and doing some high speed stuff and it is really good to see where he is.
“We are being quite patient and quite cautious with him because we don’t want to push it too soon.”
Last week the Gers drew 2-2 with Manchester United in another friendly encounter and interim boss Murty was glad to use it as a chance to get more minutes under the belt of players in need of match sharpness.
He said: “I got minutes for players who need game time against Man United, I need to see these players in games and they also need to play in games.
“I was a big believer as a player that I needed matches to be sharp, you could train as much as you wanted but I believed I was better as soon as I played a game.
“There will be players going to Berwick this week, JJ and I will go down to that as well.
“They need minutes, they need to be ready and if at any time we need to call upon one of these players who haven’t started a game I need to know they are physically in condition and their touch is right.
“I need to know they are in the right mode tactically and that they are playing the football I like.
“It is no good coming in and changing certain things for the first-team and then having guys who have never practised that methodology and expecting them to do it and judging them on it because that isn’t fair.
“There will be people going to Berwick and not as punishment because I think sometimes footballers see it that way. It’s as an opportunity to go and get sharp, get fit and actually give me a problem.”
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