LUCA Gasparotto has confirmed that he will be available for selection in Saturday’s Scottish Cup tie against Albion Rovers — and that he would be open to returning to Morton on loan in January.

The Canadian defender has been a real hit at Cappielow since being farmed out by parent club Rangers back in August.

So much so that Ton fans have already been asking whether the Sinclair Street side will be able to extend the loan after his initial agreement expires at the beginning of 2016.

Although Gasparotto will have to wait and see what the Ibrox club’s thoughts are and whether Ton boss Jim Duffy would like him back, he says he is thoroughly enjoying his time in Greenock.

In terms of the more immediate future, the 20-year-old has been cleared to turn out for his loan club in the Scottish Cup, something he is delighted with.

When asked if Rangers had given him permission to play, he said: “Yes, I think I’m eligible to play on Saturday. I think Rangers have said it’s alright for me to play in the cup game.

“Obviously I don’t want to miss any games so I want to be a part of it. Hopefully the rain stays off this week and we can get the game in and hopefully get a good result to start a cup run.

“I’ve never played at Cliftonhill before but I was in the gym at Murray Park the other day and speaking to Andy Murdoch, who’s on loan at Cowdenbeath and were playing Albion that night. He said the pitch isn’t great and that he was going to try and not tear it up too much before the weekend. It will be a different pitch to what we’re used to at Cappielow but we’ll have to deal with it and get on with it.

“It’s a cup game and they don’t have the pressure on them that we do, so they’re going to go into it and try and cause an upset.

“We kind of know how they’re feeling having come up against Motherwell and St Johnstone in the cup ourselves and know it’s possible to cause an upset.

“Albion had to be a good side to get promoted last year and they’re doing well this year, so they’re definitely a good team and not one we can take lightly. We need to be prepared for a hard game.”

When the subject of extending his loan in the New Year was broached he said: “I’ve not really had a chance to think about that at the moment.

“It would obviously be up to Rangers, if they want me back in January, and if the gaffer, Jim Duffy, wants me to continue with them here. So there are a bunch of things that have to be spoken about.

“But obviously right now, for me, if I have the chance to keep playing at a high level then that will be the best thing for me. Right now I’m getting that at Morton.

“Obviously I’d need to speak to Rangers and see their views on it and speak to my agent to see if he’s heard anything from them.

“Personally I’d like to keep playing and testing myself, and I’m enjoying every minute of it, so I wouldn’t be opposed to staying out on loan if Rangers don’t want me back in January.”

“Would I be open to coming back to Morton specifically?

“Yeah, definitely. Morton has been a great place for me. I’ve really enjoyed it so far, I’ve come into the team and feel part of the team now.

“We’re playing really well and having a great season so we’ll see what happens.”

Gasparotto has gained invaluable experience in his time with the Ton, featuring in matches such as his second Renfrewshire derby last Friday. The centre-half savoured the occasion, hailing the support of the travelling fans, and in terms of the result, felt the draw was the least the visitors’ performance merited.

He added: “I didn’t really know much about the [Renfrewshire] derby before, but speaking to the boys in the team and reading fans on Twitter, I knew it was a big game and big rivalry.

“I played for about 60 minutes in the first derby but came off injured; I hurt my back in that game. So I was looking forward to it going into this one.

“It was a really good game to be a part of. I mean, the atmosphere on Friday night was class. I thought our fans were brilliant: I heard them all game and they really helped us through the game. 
“I thought we played really well, especially in the second half.

“We created lots of chances and I thought a point was the least we deserved out of the game. 
“I’m delighted we managed that at the end but a little disappointed we couldn’t get more.

“But it’s another game unbeaten and hopefully we can continue on the run we are on.”