PEDRO CAIXINHA insists Rangers will be flying the flag for Scotland when they embark on their Europa League journey tonight.

The Gers host Progres Niederkon in the first qualifying round as they return to continental action after a six year absence.

Scottish clubs have largely struggled to make an impact in European competition in recent years but Caixinha knows it is crucial we have some success stories sooner rather than later.

Read more: Pedro Caixinha pleased to see Rangers make progress on and off the park this summer

He said: “We have to come through eight matches, four qualifying ties!

“It’s a challenge. It’s really a challenge. We know it is difficult.

“We tried to make a small study from the last five seasons and at least one club, some seasons two clubs, went from the first qualifiers to the group stage.

“Monaco with the Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim: from the second qualifying round of the Champions League he arrived in the semi-finals. That’s an achievement.

“But our focus is tie by tie, qualifier by qualifier, and the target is to get to the group stage and after that we see what happens.

“If we think that this massive club needs to be there we are trying to do everything to put things on the normal track. But also we are not only defending Rangers, we are defending Rangers and Scotland.

“If you see for example the co-efficient, the poor co-efficient that Scotland has right now, and knowing that you only get 0.25 points for getting through the first qualifier and 0.50 for getting through the second qualifier and after that you get 1.0 and 1.5 points, you need to add a lot of qualifiers, you need to win a lot of matches, to raise the level of the company.

Read more: Pedro Caixinha pleased to see Rangers make progress on and off the park this summer

“So we are defending Rangers in the first place and doing that the best possible way we also help the country.

“It’s not depending only on Rangers, it’s depending on all the teams which are involved.

“But that is not my concern that’s not my problem, I just need to focus on Rangers and we are going to do all our very best and put all our efforts into getting it.”