Pedro Caixinha has revealed that Rangers midfielder Carlos Pena needs to improve his understanding of the Scottish game and learn that he won’t get much time on the ball.
The Gers boss believes that the Mexico international needs to adapt to the league and be smarter in possession.
The 27-year-old moved to Ibrox in the summer from Mexican club Guadalajara and it’s his first taste of European football.
Pena is yet to really force his way into the starting line-up and has made just there brief appearances in the league.
The central midfielder did manage to impress fans last weekend as he scored a late goal in a comfortable win over Dundee.
Caixinha believes that he needs to adjust to the style of the Scottish League, which is different to playing in his homeland.
“We are preparing Carlos Pena to understand that in some games he won’t get the space he wants. That’ something he needs to adapt to,” Caixinha said, as quoted by the club’s official Twitter account.
PC: We are preparing Carlos Pena to understand that in some games he won't get the space he wants. That's something he needs to adapt to.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) September 13, 2017
Pena is an experienced midfielder that has 18 international caps for Mexico under his belt and took up the challenge at Ibrox during the summer.
He has spent his domestic career playing in the Mexican league and starred for top-flight club Leon FC, where he scored 42 goals in 164 appearances.
He is still early into his Rangers career, but fans would surely love for him to replicate the same kind of goalscoring form.
OPINION
It is still far too early for Rangers fans to judge the qualities of Pena as he is yet complete 90 minutes for them in competitive football. He is certainly a technically gifted footballer, but of course catching up to the speed of Scotland could take time. The midfielder showed his ability with a goal in his short cameo against Dundee and he could prove to be a vital part of the squad. However, it may be difficult to force his way into the starting line-up as Ryan Jack and Graham Dorrans have struck up a solid partnership in the middle of the park.