THE road to recovery has been a long one for Rangers but another marker post will be past at Ibrox this evening. This will be a journey of a different kind.

Six years after their last appearance in European competition and four after they began their climb back to the top flight, the Light Blues will return to the Europa League.

The meeting with Progres Niederkorn isn’t the most glamorous tie in Rangers’ history, nor will it be the most challenging 90 minutes they will face this term.

Read more: Pedro Caixinha: Rangers players must meet my standards if they are to stay at IbroxGlasgow Times: Pedro Caixinha

But it will be significant nonetheless for the 50,000 fans that will head to Ibrox as Pedro Caixinha’s side look to get the new season off and running with a victory.

The final whistle at McDiarmid Park last month started the countdown timer for Rangers as the focus immediately shifted forward. Supporters won’t look back with anger.

A campaign that promised much but delivered nothing has been consigned to the history books and now another chapter in the Ibrox tale can be written.

“It is about sharing that experience and that feeling with the fans,” Caixinha said.

“Almost three days before the match the whole stadium was completely sold out so it’s something where you really need to represent a unique club where those sort of things happen.

“Being away from this competition for six years is too long for such a massive club.

Read more: Pedro Caixinha: Rangers players must meet my standards if they are to stay at Ibrox

“And of course we want to enjoy the moment, we want to enjoy the moment with our fans, we want to deliver a good performance, we want to deliver a good result and have a good start of course in this new season.

“I always put the club on top of everything. This is a massive job for a team that goes from top to bottom and bottom to top.

“This is not about personal goals, it is about collective goals and when you realise your collective goals your goals are going to be included as well. But I always think as a club.”

The side that strides out at Ibrox tonight will be significantly different from the one that rounded off a forgettable term with a 2-1 win in Perth just a few weeks ago.

Eight players have been recruited during a condensed pre-season, while a handful – Clint Hill, Philippe Senderos, Emerson Hyndman, Jon Toral, Joe Garner and Andy Halliday – have already headed for the exit door.

The summer has been hectic for Rangers but the progress is encouraging for supporters as they get set to see a new-look side in action for the first time.

Caixinha inherited a team that underperformed and underachieved and a squad that wasn’t fit for purpose. Now, he will put his side on the park.

“Everything that has been done so far has been working and gone according to the plan,” Caixinha said.

Read more: Pedro Caixinha: Rangers players must meet my standards if they are to stay at Ibrox

“We followed it, believed it and are convinced of it, if you are talking about the plan for players.

“Also it’s been a massive and huge task that this club has done in this transfer window and there are still two months to go. But knowing we were starting so early, we did a massive job.

“We still have some positions to fill regarding to the plan, but we think we can do it with two months to finish it.

“In such a short period of time, I don’t think I’ve had to do as much.

“But when you have the targets and you have been working on it since we arrived here, as long as we had identified the needs, it was easier to start the process.

“The names only came out in the window, but the work which was done in the background started long before that.

“I’m not going to comment on media names, but we know what we want, we have a strategy to get what we want and that is what we are going to follow.”

Rangers will be without their most high-profile summer signing at Ibrox as Bruno Alves continues to represent Portugal at their Confederations Cup.

But winger Daniel Candeias could now make his debut after being added to the squad last night in place of midfielder Jordan Thompson.

Fabio Cardoso and Ryan Jack seem certain starters for the Gers, while winger Dalcio could be handed a spot in the Light Blues attack following his arrival from Benfica.

The Ibrox crowd will also been keen to see Mexican pair Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera and Alfredo Morelos, the Colombian striker, in action for the first time.

“All of the guys that are on the list are able to play,” Caixinha said.

“We have new players for the game and maybe four of them will be starting, with two or three more on the bench. But it’ll have to be at different moments.

“At the moment, we don’t have normal team regarding to the rhythms that they have on the training pitch or the minutes that they have received in the preparation matches.

“Not everyone is at the same level at the moment, but that’s what we are trying to do in our organisation and our plan.

“We understand the guys that are ready and, for sure, they are going to be there.”