Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst has bitten back at questions regarding the fitness of Aaron Ramsey as the pressure mounts behind the move for the Welsh international.
Gers fans were joyous on transfer deadline day last month when news broke that the club had seemingly managed to engineer a loan move for the Juventus midfielder.
Whilst the move was greeted with huge enthusiasm by supporters – the former free-scoring Arsenal midfielder a huge coup in terms of profile and ability – the entire thing has been caveated by Ramsey’s fitness issues.
Now almost a month into his time with the Gers, so far Ramsey has made only four appearances, including three late showings from the bench and one from the start against Annan, missing the last two games due to a ‘minor knock’.
Speaking ahead of the Scottish Premiership clash with Motherwell, manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst insists that things are progressing with Aaron Ramsey as expected.
“No, he didn’t have a setback,” said Gio [Rangers].
“He wasn’t meant to be in the squad yesterday, so for me it’s just going as planned. Today he is on the pitch, so we have to see his progress day by day. But he definitely didn’t get a setback.
“It’s been a very demanding game yesterday so we will have another day tomorrow to assess the players who played, how they are physically and then prepare for the game on Sunday and decide which players will start.”
van Bronckhorst rejects Ramsey setback questions
Signed with an increasingly important title on the line given the potential ramifications for automatic Champions League qualification, Rangers fans have expressed concerns regarding the move.
If Rangers go on to lift 56 and Aaron Ramsey plays an influential part, the management and the club’s directorate – most namely Ross Wilson – will be rightly lauded.
But if the club’s campaign capitulates amid a nine-point swing that sees Rangers three points behind arch-rivals Celtic with 33 to play for, then they can expect some serious criticism.
If Rangers can get Aaron Ramsey fit and firing – with the midfielder already quickly buying into things at Ibrox – then it could prove a masterstroke as the campaign bottlenecks.
Whatever van Bronckhorst says, as things stand that remains a giant IF and fans will want to see more of the Serie A midfielder in the coming matches, perhaps against Motherwell.
Here’s how we’re backing the Rangers side to line-up against Motherwell at Ibrox – has Aaron Ramsey made the cut?
