Two key Rangers players are unlikely to start against Livingston on Saturday after missing out on both of the Gers’ pre-season fixtures at the weekend.
Steven Gerrard’s side completed their friendly schedule with a 0-0 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion and a 2-1 comeback win over Real Madrid.
Plenty of players impressed against Los Blancos in particular, but Joe Aribo and Kemar Roofe were nowhere to be seen.
When fit, both stars were key for Steven Gerrard last season and would likely still make his strongest XI.
However, they both missed out on crucial minutes at the weekend, as did winger Brandon Barker.
No specific information was provided regarding the reason for their absence, with the club seemingly making a conscious decision not to go public with the details, but whether it’s injury or isolation, it’s likely to have cost them a chance to start the Premiership opener.
The relatively late cancellation of the Blackpool friendly due to a ‘Covid-related issue’ in the Seasiders’ camp already had some players facing a race against time to get up to speed, but most members of the first-team squad got playing time against quality opposition on both Saturday and Sunday.
Roofe has effectively missed out on three runouts in the past week, though, and Aribo’s absence against Arsenal the previous weekend ensures he’s even further behind.
It’s now tough to see how they could realistically compete for a starting berth against Livi, which is a blow for Gerrard, especially as Alfredo Morelos won’t be in a position to start either, even if he does arrive back in Glasgow in the coming days.
It’s far from ideal to begin a title defence without several key players in the starting XI but the manager and the supporters will take heart from the performance produced in their absence on Sunday.
According to a report, two other players who have featured in Rangers pre-season could soon go on loan to the same club.
