Nigerian international Leon Balogun proved ample back-up for Rangers with the absence of Ben Davies against Dundee still a mystery.
The veteran 35-year-old centre-back has been capped 43-times for the Super Eagles and showed all that experience in a commanding display at Dens Park.
After much disruption heading into the game, Leon Balogun also proved a leader and a difference-maker by striding forward to create the first goal in the 5-0 victory over Dundee.
Breaking the lines and eventually sliding the ball in for Danilo – whose deflected shot was palmed into the path of Ryan Jack – it was a moment of genuine quality that had Rangers fans purring.
But there remains some confusion as to why Leon Balogun, re-signed by Michael Beale in the summer, was actually named on the team sheet at Dens Park in the first place
Leon Balogun steps up v Dundee amid Ben Davies absence
Whilst Philippe Clement made note of an injury to John Souttar ahead of the match with Dundee, £4m ex-Liverpool defender alternative Ben Davies was expected to step in.
But the centre-back was nowhere to be seen with Ben Davies dropping out of the side entirely and Leon Balogun being drafted in to start alongside Connor Goldson in Dundee.
The former Preston centre-back was given a tough time by Lawrence Shankland in Rangers’ late show over Hearts and one wonders if the physicality of that game is still being felt.
However, Rangers boss Philippe Clement has been up front – if not scathing – of the club’s injury and physical conditioning issues and we suspect the Belgian might’ve told the waiting press if Ben Davies was to be ruled out ahead of the game.
It suggests that whatever issue Ben Davies has sustained has happened in the last 24 hours and it’s the last thing a stretched Rangers defence needs at the moment.
With a monumental League Cup semi-final v Hearts on the horizon, it looks like Rangers could be heading into the game with only two senior centre-backs.
But as Leon Balogun showed against Dundee, he’s certainly not a bad back-up option for Rangers to have.
