As Rangers exited the Champions League at the QR3 stage, the pain was compounded by a serious-looking injury to Ridvan Yilmaz.
The Turkish left-back has started every game under Philippe Clement so far this season and there was a real feeling the 23-year-old might finally be set for a run in the Ibrox first team.
A reported £5m signing from Besiktas in 2022, struggles adapting to life in Scotland and a run of various injury problems have really prevented Ridvan from making a tangible impact on the team.
The left-back isn’t the only one either.
The injury situation at Rangers has been poured over relentlessly whilst Philippe Clement has made a series of changes in the club’s medical department this summer.
But the same old problems are threatening to compound Rangers’ misery with Ridvan Yilmaz potentially set to join a swelling list of absentees.
Clement retains Yilmaz ‘hope’
When Ridvan Yilmaz pulled up against Dynamo Kiev, Rangers fans were already fearing the worst.
The left-back had just fired a shot off the chest of a Ukrainian defender and – without any contact whatsoever – pulled up clutching his thigh.
Clearly upset by the entire thing, Ridvan dropped to the deck and eventually had to be stretchered off as a night of misery at Hampden was compounded by the injury.
Speaking after the match, Rangers manager Philippe Clement wasn’t in the mood to go into any details. Not least because, as per always, he doesn’t have any.
The Ibrox gaffer has spent about 50% of his time in front of the press discussing the medical ailments of his players and has consistently reminded journalists that diagnoses take time.
Nonetheless, Clement had to be asked.
“I have no idea for the moment to be honest,” responded a despondent Clement. “So I hope not too bad.”
Four Rangers first-teamers swell injury list
Philippe Clement must be sick and tired of these issues flaring up in his squad.
Or perhaps he’s growing depressingly apathetic like the rest of us.
Injuries and Rangers go hand-in-hand and we’ve seen a number of unarguably overpaid bang-average footballers drain the club’s wage bill whilst propping up the physio’s room in recent seasons.
This season has also started as the others have ended with several players now carrying issues only four games into the new campaign.
Heading into the match with Dynamo Kiev, Philippe Clement explained that Leon Balogun was an injury doubt. Come kick-off the Nigerian wasn’t even in the squad.
Rangers also lost Colombian winger Oscar Cortes minutes into the second half on opening day v Hearts, the 20-year-old having just returned from a lengthy lay-off last season.
With Cortes now out until the end of September at the earliest, Rangers fans have raised a few eyebrows about the £4m the club will pay RC Lens next summer for Cortes’s services.
Then there is Belgian midfielder Nicolas Raskin, who will also be out until some time in September after sustaining an injury v Ajax.
The ex-Standard Liege star still has everything to prove at Rangers but Raskin was the victim of a rough challenge in a pre-season friendly and joins the club’s injury list.
Meanwhile, Philippe Clement has explained that £6m Brazilian striker Danilo just isn’t ready to play yet after suffering a knee injury in December last season.
We’re just waiting for Ben Davies, Tom Lawrence, Kieran Dowell and Rabbi Matondo to mysteriously pull out with injuries to complete the Full House Ibrox injury bingo card!
