Rangers boss Michael Beale has confirmed that ex-Norwich City star Kieran Dowell has been ruled out of the Champions League Playoff clash with PSV through injury.
The Gers manager was speaking ahead of the neatly poised tie in Eindhoven, with a 2-2 draw at Ibrox leaving everything to play for at the Philips Stadion.
Providing an injury update ahead of the clash, Michael Beale confirmed that Kieran Dowell is the only player not available for the selection against the Dutch.
This comes with the midfielder experiencing a “slight problem” which also ruled him out of the weekend’s 2-0 Scottish Premiership win over Ross County.
“Kieran Dowell is the only one missing with a slight problem with his knee,” Michael Beale said.
“It’s not a big problem, this match is just too soon for him.”
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The news comes a week on from when Rangers boss Michael Beale had praised the work of new medical director Mark Waller in curbing the impact of a devastating run of injuries last season.
Rangers re-signed Dr Waller in the summer after a brief stint with Leicester City with the club’s medical department taking a new direction under the established footballing physician.
“The work that Mark Waller and the sports science and the medical team have done over the summer to rectify the issues we had with injuries has been fantastic,” said the Ibrox boss.
But as Ridvan Yilmaz’s return looked set to return Rangers to their full complement for the first time in recent memory, an injury to Kieran Dowell has delayed that.
Rangers struck a pre-contract deal to sign Kieran Dowell in the summer at the end of his Norwich City contract in a strong signing which has gone under the radar somewhat.
Whilst the glamorous additions of Danilo, Cyriel Dessers and Jose Cifuentes have grabbed the headlines, there’s a top player in the former Everton youth and this injury is certainly a blow.
Thankfully, the injury problem doesn’t appear too serious and Rangers fans can look forward to having Kieran Dowell back on the pitch before too long.
Dowell, 25, came off the bench for Rangers late on the 2-2 draw with PSV at Ibrox, replacing Ecuadorean international Jose Cifuentes.