Rangers loanee Nikola Katic missed out through suspension as adopted side Hajduk Split played out a 0-0 draw with NK Osijek in the Croatian First League.
The 6ft4 centre-back has been getting minutes under his belt in the Balkans after a cruciate ligament injury kept him out for the entirety of last season.
But as Niko Katic builds back with Hajduk Split the defender served a suspension against Borna Barisic’s former team due to an accumulation of yellow cards.
Under rules in Croatia, players will miss a match if they get only three yellow cards, something which would surely result in a plethora of suspensions if ever adopted in Scotland.
The defender also never missed much as Hajduk and Osijek played out a drab goalless draw which leaves the side 4th in HNL.1, five points off 3rd place Osijek with a game in hand.
Katic was dropped completely from the Hajduk Split team as a result of the suspension coming after Nikola had picked up a yellow in the club’s last match with NK Lokomotiva.
Niko was also heavily involved in the pulsating 3-3 draw, the centre-back netting a late own goal to make it 3-3 and award NK Lokomotiva a share of the spoils.
Rangers star Nikola Katic getting back to full fitness at Hajduk Split
Nikola Katic has made 13 appearances for Hajduk Split so far, with an impressive ten of those coming from the start as he continues his fightback from injury.
Rangers have not had their defensive problems to seek this season with the club short at centre-back, leading to many suggesting Nikola Katic should be recalled by the club.
But with the defender getting minutes in Croatia, it doesn’t seem conducive to his rehabilitation to call him back to sit on the bench in Scotland.
Signed for a reported £2m from Slaven Bepulo under Steven Gerrard in 2018, Nikola Katic has gone on to make 59 appearances for Rangers, scoring six goals.
The emergence of one young Rangers star at centre-back has also dulled the need to sign defensive reinforcements in the weeks ahead.
