Jamie Murphy has been out of action since the middle of August.
He sustained knee ligament damage during Rangers’ 3-1 Scottish League Cup win over Kilmarnock and the much-maligned artificial surface took much of the blame.
In the interim, there have been times where the £1.08 million signing hasn’t been a big miss.
In the months of November and February in particular, Gerrard’s men were flying.
The likes of Ryan Kent, Glenn Middleton, and Daniel Candeias were putting in strong displays on the flanks.
However, in times like these, his absence is keenly felt.
One of the biggest problems this campaign, especially in the league, has been breaking down stubborn opposition.
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Murphy, whether from the start or off the bench, may have made a difference in several of those instances.
Gerrard has often lacked a dependable player to turn to when the going has got tough.
Right now, Rangers are going through a tough spell. Unlike earlier in the season, it’s not just the away form that’s the problem, either.
In their last two home matches, they have drawn one and lost one, scoring just once along the way.
The Ibrox faithful need something to cheer about and Murphy’s long-awaited return could be just the thing.
After such a long spell on the sidelines, no one can expect him to be pulling up trees straight away. Yet, last week, Steven Gerrard said he’s on course to be available before the campaign is out.
He kicked off Rangers’ season with the opening goal against Skhupi on 12 July.
Maybe he can be the one to end it in style, while also reigniting some optimism for what’s to come.
