Rangers will look to find greater consistency after the November international break but boss Philippe Clement faces being without an Ibrox star until possibly Christmas.
The Glasgow giants sit nine points off the top of the Premiership table through their first 11 games of the campaign. An inability to produce back-to-back wins before the final pause for international action this year cost Clement and the Gers through their past four encounters.
A host of injury issues have blighted Rangers in recent weeks, as well, as Clement juggles an often-depleted squad. He will hope their issues ease after the break when Rangers return to action against Dundee United. But one Rangers star will not return from his injury for weeks.
Rangers doubt Tom Lawrence will return from injury until mid-December
Reports by the Daily Record now claim Rangers do not expect Tom Lawrence to return from his latest injury until mid-December. The 30-year-old has suffered repeated setbacks, which have frustrated the midfielder in his bid to be fully fit in a stop-start season so far this term.
Lawrence has offered the occasional impact when Clement has been able to call on him for Rangers’ fixtures. Even Dundee United coach Jim Goodwin lauded the ‘threat’ of Lawrence in the pocket when the Gers won 1-0 at Tannadice Park back in September after he scored.
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Cyriel Dessers found Lawrence in just the seventh minute to score the only goal as Rangers beat Dundee United on the road. Clement even saw Lawrence score in back-to-back games after also firing the winner as Rangers beat Hibernian 1-0 at Ibrox at the end of September.
But since scoring against Dundee United and Hibernian, Lawrence has only featured in two of Rangers’ following five Premiership games. Clement started him in those fixtures against Kilmarnock and Aberdeen, too. Lawrence also offered an assist in their 2-1 loss at the Dons.
Tom Lawrence’s injury record could see Rangers let his contract expire
Providing one assist against Aberdeen took Lawrence to five goal involvements (three goals, two assists) in eight of Rangers’ 11 Premiership games this term, of which he started seven. Boss Clement has only benched Lawrence whilst fit to feature when Celtic beat Rangers 3-0.
But injury issues are not the only concern for Lawrence and Rangers, with the 23-cap Wales international out of contract on May 31, 2025. The expectation now is also that Rangers will let Lawrence leave as a free agent, with Ibrox chiefs showing no desire to extend his terms.
Lawrence’s injury record is playing a big part in Rangers’ possible decision to let his contract expire. He was only a part of the Gers’ matchday plans for 20 of their 30 regular season plus three of their five Premiership top-six split games last season for two goals and three assists.
