Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett has spoken to The News, Portsmouth, about the prospect of Ross McCrorie being recalled by Rangers in January.
The Scotland U21 skipper is currently on loan at the EFL League One side, in a deal that is due to run until the end of the 2019/20 season.
However, Jackett is well aware of the recall clause in the deal and although he asserted he would like to keep McCrorie, he’s recognised that the ball is in the Gers’ court.
“There haven’t been any discussions,” he told The News, Portsmouth. “I’ve spoken to their loans manager [Billy Kirkwood] who has watched us quite a bit.”
“The arrangement is a season-long loan with a recall in January. So when January gets here, depending on their situation, Rangers have the right to do that. As the parent club, that is their play.
“From our point of view, we plan on Ross being with us for the season. If it changes, then we’ll adapt. Certainly, there’s not any panic because, from my point of view, I’m happy for him to be here for the season.”
Verdict
It’s been far from an ideal loan spell for McCrorie up until this point.
The Gers academy graduate was sent off on debut, has been deployed in multiple different positions and is only just back from a month out with a hamstring injury.
However, unless Rangers opt to sell someone like Glen Kamara in January, it’s tough to see how bringing him back to Ibrox would benefit either party.
In terms of the pecking order, little has changed since the initial decision was made to send him out on loan.
Therefore, he would likely be best served by staying on at Fratton Park and trying to make a success of the rest of the season.
