Danny Röhl made his most decisive statement yet as Rangers manager when he confirmed that Danilo will start this weekend as Livingston head to Ibrox.
The Head Coach said: “Danilo will start tomorrow - this is no secret.”
This was a firm endorsement of a player who has been edging back toward full sharpness and who now becomes central to Rangers tactical direction under their new boss playing in behind a main central forward.
The decision does not arrive in ideal circumstances. Rangers return from the international break with a squad badly depleted by injuries, forcing Röhl to adapt quickly and reshape his plans.
But rather than framing Danilo’s inclusion as a necessity born from absences, Röhl spoke with confidence in the Brazilian.
This is a player he trusts, a player whose qualities align with the identity he is trying to instil.
The past weeks have been about evaluating what he inherited, and Danilo has emerged as one of those who has taken significant strides. For Röhl, the path forward begins with giving the former Feyenoord forward a platform.
Behind that choice sits a broader assessment of the squad and how he wants his team to function.
International breaks bring pride but also disruption, and Röhl has been frank about the difficult balance.
“When you send your players away, you’re proud, but as a club manager you want to protect them - this is football, it happens,” he said.
With so many returning injured, the need for clarity, structure and readiness becomes even more important.
That is where Danilo’s recent progress has mattered. His training performances, energy and application have offered stability during weeks when the squad has constantly shifted.
Röhl has made it a priority to reset and rebuild the team’s identity after the break, and training has been essential to that.
“We trained well but it’s about solutions now,” he insisted, emphasising that players must reunite quickly under the same principles, especially after spending time with national teams playing different systems.
There is also a strategic rhythm emerging in Röhl’s management. Rotation has been deliberate, not reactive, part of ensuring the full squad remains ready. “You need everyone on the page,” he said, aware that the coming weeks will require versatility from a group strained by injuries.
But for players returning from setbacks, he has been careful.
“To play football you need the body - not just 45 minutes, 90 minutes.
“That’s crucial,” he stressed, explaining why certain players will not be rushed despite external pressure. Danilo, however, has ticked those boxes - physically, tactically, and mentally – a major boost for a player who has spent much of the previous three years on and off the treatment table.
The improvements Röhl is driving are broader than one selection, though. He has already overseen detailed work on set-pieces alongside new specialist Scott Fry, believing these finer margins will define results while key players recover.
“We worked the last couple of days on set-pieces, both defence and offence, to have more solutions,” he said, a clear sign that Rangers’ structure is becoming more defined.
He has also refined communication within his coaching team, wanting a blend of profiles that ensures every aspect of performance is covered.
Beyond that, his squad assessment ‘light system’ has offered a direct view of where each player sits: green, yellow or red - in terms of readiness, consistency and contribution.
“Some players are yellow now, but they can improve into green,” he said, hinting that opportunities will continue to be available for those willing to seize them.
Yet Danilo’s position in that system has changed quickly; once sidelined, now trusted, selected and the first name on a team sheet he was very regularly absent from last season.
By naming Danilo early, publicly and confidently, Röhl has made a statement not just about tomorrow’s match, but about the direction of Rangers under his leadership.