Rangers defender Derek Cornelius has been in full first-team training ahead of the Scottish Cup quarter-final clash against Celtic.
The Canada international has been missing since November due to an injury for which he needed to undergo surgery.
The 28-year-old, who is on loan from Marseille, has made 12 first-team appearances this season, and Danny Rohl will be waiting for him to be back in the matchday squad.
Derek Cornelius not ready to start vs Celtic
Ahead of the Celtic clash, Rohl confirmed that he had a full house in training, which included Cornelius as well.
The centre-back was back in training a couple of weeks ago, and is understood to be progressing well as he eyes a first-team return.
Cornelius was out with a significant muscle injury, which is why the layoff and recovery have taken so much time.
Discussing his return, Dr Rajpal Brar, an injury expert and sports scientist, believes that he will not be ready to start the Celtic game and the next few matches as well.
In his view, the Gers will gradually look to ramp up his minutes and reacclimatise him to the game.
He told Rangers News exclusively: “He has been training for a couple of weeks and based on the manager’s comments, things have gone well.
“It will likely be a graduated return, which means bounce minutes in a handful of matches and if that goes well, then potentially 90 minutes.
“I reckon he is unlikely to start the next few games.”
Will Rangers sign Cornelius permanently in the summer?
Rangers hold the option to sign Cornelius permanently at the end of the season, with a deal being agreed before his move to Ibrox.
He did play regularly before his injury and it remains to be seen how he responds once he makes his first-team return.
If Rohl believes that he still strengthens the playing eleven and is helping his side concede fewer goals, he may ask the board to make the deal permanent.
Rangers will also look to see whether or not his return from injury is seamless, as players can often suffer re-injuries if their minutes are not monitored.
A decision on Cornelius’ future is not expected to be taken any time soon, with the priority being on winning the league and Scottish Cup.
