Neil Lennon was lambasted for dropping Boli Bolingoli against CFR Cluj.

The left-back had been subjected to criticism in the build-up to the crunch second-leg against the Romanian outfit and was told to sit on the bench and watch as Callum McGregor played in his position.

Bolingoli looked out of sorts in the first-leg and his performances against the likes of Sarajevo and even Motherwell were, for want of a better expression, a bit dodgy.

Perhaps that's why Lennon left him out of the second-leg - to keep him out the firing line.

But it was a gamble that didn't pay off.

Neil Lennon's tactics, dropping Bolingoli, result in costly defeat for Celtic

Now, a lot has been said about the Celtic manager's decision to leave the £3m man out.

It turned out to be a very costly error on Celtic's part as McGregor is clearly NOT a defender.

Another summer signing, £7million man Christopher Jullien, was also left on the sidelines as Celtic crashed out of the Champions League.

Yet what appears to have flown under the radar a bit is the fact that Rangers manager Steven Gerrard left new signing Filip Helander out of his Europa League squad entirely.

Rangers' Filip Helander and Greg Docherty drop out of Europa League squad for Legia tie

Rangers square-off against Legia Warsaw in their biggest game of the season so far on Thursday evening.

A game worth millions.

And there's no room at the inn for Gerrard's most expensive summer acquisition?

I understand that Nikola Katic has been playing well at centre-half so far and was a standout against FC Midtjylland over two legs.

Filip Helander looks a good buy and four other things we learned from Rangers' win over East Fife

I also understand that Katic's form has kept Swedish international Helander out the team so far.

I even understand that Gerrard is confident with Katic and Connor Goldson as his defensive pairing at the heart of his back four.

But with the cash and prestige that comes with European football for a club like Rangers, it's difficult to comprehend why big-money Helander has been omitted from the squad.

Form is temporary, as they say.

Not that I'm saying Katic hasn't done enough to keep his jersey. He has.

But it goes to show that the criticism lobbed at Neil Lennon for leaving his money signings on the bench a fortnight ago was way over the top.

Rangers defender Filip Helander tells Steven Gerrard: 'I'm ready for Legia'

Gerrard will know his team, and there will undoubtedly be a reason for Helander - and Greg Docherty while we're at it - dropping out of the squad.

Possibly a lack of full fitness.

The fact that Gers don't have enough homegrown talent to make up the full 25-man squad, for another example.

However considering Rangers having countless attacking options already, it begs the question why Gerrard is being given complete immunity from criticism for leaving out the player he felt was worth big bucks to bring to the club - while Celtic's Neil Lennon merely left his on the bench.