STEVEN GERRARD won’t allow his Rangers players to use the plastic pitch at the Stade de Suisse as an excuse in the Europa League.

The Light Blues face Swiss champions Young Boys this evening as they bid for their second win in Group G this term.

Rangers got their campaign off to a terrific start a fortnight ago as Sheyi Ojo netted the only goal of the game to clinch a deserved victory over Feyenoord at Ibrox.

But the Gers will have to contend with another artificial surface when they face Young Boys.

Gerrard said: “I don’t like Astroturf. I see it as a risk and that is just my personal preference.

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“Astroturf is Astroturf, if you have played on one you have played on every single one across the world. I don’t see the point. But we also prefer to prepare privately so we get the extra day in terms of tactical because you can’t do that in other people’s stadiums.

“Just ban them full stop. Listen, I think there are certain teams that use them for financial reasons so they can survive and cope and I totally get that, of course I do.

“Some people are left with no option and I appreciate that. But when you spend the amount of money on a stadium like this, or some of the other stadiums, I don’t think you have an excuse to use an Astroturf pitch.

“But, look, I don’t want to be splashed all over the papers talking about Astroturf pitches because it looks like I am using it as an excuse. Win, lose or draw, the pitch won’t come into it.

“We have got no choice. We will get judged on the result and the outcome of the game. Nobody will have any pity for us so we won’t use the pitch. It doesn’t get mentioned in the preparation for the game, whether we are here or at Livi or Killie. It is a game that is 11 v 11 and that is what we will focus on.

“We will focus on Young Boys’ strengths and weaknesses and give the boys a game plan that will hopefully work here.”