Injuries have decimated Rangers’ season and the latest update regarding who is likely to return post-World Cup will do little to sooth Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox headache.
The Gers are without an extensive list of high-earning first-team players with the club falling nine points behind in the title race and the Dutchman clinging on to his job at Ibrox.
Amongst them include several key first teamers with Connor Goldson, Ben Davies, Ridvan Yilmaz, John Souttar, Filip Helander, Ianis Hagi, Tom Lawrence, Fashion Sakala, Kemar Roofe and Antonio Colak all missing the 1-1 draw with St Mirren.
The situation has offered Van Bronckhorst a stay of execution – despite a clear downturn in fitness levels and a reduction in the team’s on-field aggression – with the club obviously hoping it relents come the clash with Hibs on December 16th.
But before Rangers fans start holding out for a miracle, the latest in the Athletic paints a picture which suggests the club’s season may well have been and gone before things change.
Rangers injuries to continue to post-World Cup
According to their latest report, only four of the ten – Ben Davies, Antonio Colak, Fashion Sakala and (maybe) Ridvan Yilmaz – are likely to be available against Hibs at Ibrox.
These are four players, minus Davies in the early part of the season, who have been available almost all season long and either haven’t been used by Van Bronckhorst or have been part of the club’s stuttering performances.
Vital stars like Connor Goldson and Tom Lawrence – the two players the club most need to return – won’t be seen until January at the earliest and there is no fixed date for a return.
That’s the same with Ianis Hagi and Kemar Roofe too, whilst perennial crock Filip Helander is likely to return when Celtic may well be out of sight in the Premiership.
At this rate, we’ll be lucky to see “long-term absentee” John Souttar kick a ball for us again during his four-year contract.
This is a disaster of epic proportions and if Van Bronckhorst couldn’t get a tune out of his struggling team with these four returning players available before the break, it’s hard to see how he does when we return.
It’s also a huge smite on the club’s recruitment and squad management with the Gers both failing to properly condition their stars and signing footballers who have a long-term history of injury problems.
Rangers need a miracle and this point and it’s clear that many of the club’s major injuries will carry through to when the Premiership kicks off in five weeks’ time.
If we’re still in it come February, maybe then we’ll see key players returning, but until then the suggestion is we’re stuck with what we’ve got as ties with Hibs, Aberdeen and Celtic loom large.
Meanwhile, Rangers continue to be linked to an U21 midfielder who turns out for a European powerhouse.
