Daniel Candeias has been omitted from Rangers' Europa League squad ahead of their first-round tie with St Joseph's of Gibraltar.

The Portuguese winger made 52 appearances last season and scored in a 5-0 friendly win over Oxford on Sunday but there was no place for him in Steven Gerard's 22 man list, which was submitted on Friday.

Teams can name up to 25 players but the number may be reduced if they do not meet the UEFA criteria of having eight players who are "locally trained players".

This criteria is split into "club-trained" and "association-trained" players - and no club can register more than 4 players who are "association trained" as part of their eight "locally trained" players

Manager Steven Gerrard said: "He's not suspended and he's not injured. It's just a numbers' game. You can swap and change - I'm not going to make a big thing of it.

"It is only normal from week to week that it changes on who is in and who is out. Daniel is a good player who played a lot of games for me last year and I predict the same could happen again this year."

UEFA say a club-trained player is one who "between the age of 15 (or the start of the season during which he turns 15) and 21 (or the end of the season during which he turns 21), and irrespective of his nationality and age, has been registered with his current club for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons".

Association-trained players are those who "between the age of 15 (or the start of the season during which the player turns 15) and 21 (or the end of the season during which the player turns 21), and irrespective of his nationality and age, has been registered with a club or with other clubs affiliated to the same association as that of his current club for a period, continuous or not, of three entire seasons".

Rangers can submit a new squad list at each stage of qualification, but still need to meet the UEFA criteria. They can also supplement the 22-man squad with players born from 1998 onwards who have been with the club for at least two years.

Full-back Jon Flanagan is missing after undergoing hernia surgery which will sideline him for about three weeks, while Jamie Murphy is also out of the trip to Gibraltar for Tuesday's first leg.

He will face Ayr in a friendly on Tuesday as he works his way back from a serious knee injury.

Midfielder Scott Arfield is selected despite having just returned following international duty with Canada, while the out-of-favour Graham Dorrans, Jason Holt, Joe Dodoo, Eros Grezda and Kyle Lafferty are also absent.

Glenn Middleton and Ryan Hardie are also missing as Rangers seek loan switches for the pair. They were all set to go to Doncaster and Blackpool respectively, but managerial changes have delayed their departures.