Philippe Clement is doing a good job in juggling the players who are and aren’t available for Rangers at the minute knowing that it could be some time before any of them return.
Thankfully, Todd Cantwell is predicted to only be out for a few weeks but, at this stage of the season, he will miss key games and lose match fitness, the Gers boss is squeezing every ounce of creativity out of his squad in the meantime – as we saw perfectly at Ibrox on Saturday.
This doesn’t mean that the players who are absent aren’t missed, in particular, Abdallah Sima who was scoring a goal every two games for Rangers before being injured on international duty, with Philippe Clement providing an update on the 22-year old.
Philippe Clement in Abdallah Sima update as Rangers fans wait
Oscar Cortes has come in to replace Sima on the left-hand side of the attack but his two-footedness means that he is just as comfortable on the other flank.
What the Colombian brings that Sima sometimes lacks is the ability to build an attack and progress play in a more controlled manner.
Unless the ball is played infront of him, Sima can sometimes be guilty of losing possession but there is no doubting his finishing skills.
Speaking ahead of tonight’s Scottish Premiership clash with Kilmarnock, Clement was asked how Abdallah Sima’s recovery was going and if there was any chance of an imminent return for Rangers:
“He is on course, yes. But he is not yet training with the team. We know it is a long term.”
He has been seen at Auchenhowie and even rumoured to be training on the grass, however, any sort of muscle injury that requires surgery is always going to be pushing the three month mark in terms of recovery.
There is still an issue on the right-hand side with Dujon Sterling being the latest player given a chance and it looks as though it is his jersey to lose.
Ross McCausland has done great for his breakthrough season but there is a clinical edge missing from his final ball and shooting.
As for Scott Wright, his work rate is commendable but his final ball has never been consistent or good enough.
The dream is to see Abdallah Sima and Oscar Cortes in the same Rangers team together before the end of the season in what would finally be the sort of pairing that would have both the manager, and the fans, happy.
