Does Rangers’ hectic schedule suggest Gareth McAuley is set for more game time?

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Rangers have been going well so far this season under new manager Steven Gerrard.

The Light Blues are third in the Scottish Premiership on 24 points and are within touching distance of league leaders Celtic, who are on 26.

Gerrard’s men have also been competitive in the Europa League, and still stand a good chance of progressing to the round of 32 despite defeat last time out to Spartak Moscow.

Their season is about to get just that little bit more diffcult though, with 11 games lieing in wait over the next 35 days as reported by The Daily Mail.

That works out at a game every three days, meaning Gerrard will need to manage his squad carefully, paying close attention to his players’ fitness levels.

He will have to rotate to keep things as fresh as he can, and it could be that summer signing Gareth McAuley now steps in to play a more prominent role for the team.

38-year-old McAuley was brought in by Gerrard after his contract expired at West Bromwich Albion.

The veteran defender has struggled with injury so far, but he is now ready to make his mark for the team ahead of a potentially season-defining period.

More game time on the horizon?

With so many games coming up, surely more pitch time beckons for McAuley, who finally made his home debut against Motherwell at the weekend after replacing Nikola Katic at half time.

Rangers are not inundated with centre-halves. Gerrard only has Katic, Connor Goldson, Joe Worrall to call on, with Ross McCrorie also able to operate there.

Gerrard’s squad is about to be stretched, and McAuley could have a big role to play.

The former Northern Ireland international is known for being impressively fit for his age, and could really lend a hand to the team as the games come thick and fast.

Goldson, who missed out on the mauling of Motherwell, in particular has played a lot of games so far this season and the Englishman might be due for a rest soon.