Philippe Clement doesn’t have a lot of options when it comes to rotating his Rangers defence, even if recent performances suggest that he might want to.
The away form jinx continues to blight a squad seemingly incapable of not gifting goals with the manager struggling to find a solution.
With the fourth game out of five away from Ibrox coming up against Dundee, there is one Rangers player in particular who will be lucky to avoid the axe from Clement.
Jefte lucky to avoid Rangers axe after Hibs horror show
Young players will always be inconsistent which makes the form of Jefte since signing from Fluminense in the summer all the more impressive.
Against Hibs though, it was a different story with Rangers News player ratings for the trip to Easter Road summing up the 21-year old’s performance:
“Slack in his passing and in his dribbling, the left-back was also left floundering for the first header in Hibs’ first goal of the afternoon and it was on Jefte’s side the Hibs penalty was given away.
“Not physical enough in the challenge and too routinely shoved off the ball, the Brazilian had a difficult afternoon in Edinburgh.”
A 4/10 rating could have been lower, especially when you consider that Jefte gave the ball away 14 times.
Who could come in to replace Jefte?
Unfortunately for Clement, there is nobody who he can turn to and give Jefte the night off, Robbie Fraser having signed for Livingston on loan for the rest of the season.
Ridvan Yilmaz is covering at right-back due to injuries to James Tavernier and Neraysho Kasanwirjo with Dujon Sterling having to deputise at centre-half, although he too is now injured.
Clinton Nsiala has yet to kick a competitive ball for Rangers and is more natural in the heart of the defence and now is not the time to just throw him in, out of position, at least.
All Clement can do, is have a word with Jefte, tell him to refocus and put the performance against Hibs behind him.
He has enough credit in the bank to deserve a second chance.
