Rangers Colts coach Graeme Murty has cleared up the mysterious absence of two key players from Saturday’s victory over Wrexham at Ibrox.
Dapo Mebude and Eros Grezda had both been key members of the side that had progressed through the first four rounds of the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Cup, with Mebude netting at Berwick Rangers and Grezda notching a brace against Solihull Moors.
It would have been a surprise to the opposition to face neither attacker, with Wrexham picking out Albanian international Grezda as a dangerman ahead of the game [Wrexhamafc.co.uk].
However, it seems that a previously unmentioned knock ruled Mebude out, while minutes for Jon Flanagan and George Edmundson took priority over Grezda’s involvement.
“Dapo is injured, he’s got a slight knee problem and only two overage players can play and that’s just the reality of football, unfortunately,” explained Murty in a post-match presser attended by Rangers News.
It seems Grezda won’t necessarily return for the semi-final, either, with the first-team coaches set to decide which two overage players will be made available.
“We’re allowed two so that’ll purely be down to the first-team and who they want to get minutes and time for their playing staff. We’re thankful to them and adjust and accommodate according to that.”
The semi-finals will be all-Scottish affairs, with Partick Thistle, Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Raith Rovers the three other sides still standing in the competition.
