How ironic can you get; A serious injury suffered by a reported Rangers transfer target coming in a clash against, yes you guessed it, Philippe Clement’s Scottish Premiership giants?
And, just to add an extra zest of irony, it even occurred in a collision with a player who has endured a lengthy spell on the treatment table of his own this season.
Oscar Cortes was making his first Rangers start since September when Clement’s team travelled to Motherwell for the final outing of 2024. And while Cortes would avoid another setback as Lennon Miller snapped into a tackle, the prince of Fir Park was not quite so fortunate.
The Motherwell starlet may have been ‘lucky’ to avoid a straight red card – according to former Rangers striker Kris Boyd – but Cortes will have little sympathy knowing that a rather reckless lunge ended with Miller, rather than the Colombia starlet, in a brace and facing an extended period out of the team.
Technical director Nils Koppen has watched the £4 million-rated Miller in action this season. According to the Daily Mail, meanwhile, Rangers were ‘expected’ to make a January move too.
Now, whether a potential two month absence with a hairline fracture in Lennon’s ankle encourages Rangers to put Miller on the backburner, only time will tell. Given the extent of interest on both sides of the border – Premier League clubs are queuing up for the Scotland youth star too – Rangers may be better advised making their move now in the hope that Miller’s injury slows down the fight for his signature.
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Lennon Miller injury casts doubt on Rangers’ pursuit of Motherwell star
Arguably the finest teenage talent in the country, Miller should – if all goes to plan – be back on the pitch in March. April at the latest. One suspects Rangers would be happy to sacrifice a few weeks if it means having Miller at their disposal for the next few years.
“Lennon has been a pillar of our team,” Motherwell coach Stuart Kettlewell tells the media ahead of Sunday’s trip to Aberdeen. “A mainstay and a stand-out for us. I would put him in the stand-out category of the division as a whole.
“I’ve even got myself to that point where he deals with it all so well that I’ve handed him the captain’s armband at the age of 18 for the last couple of months, and there’s a semi-final included in that as well.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that he’s going to be a huge loss for us. He’s going to be missed over that period of time but we’re going to need to have players who step forward and show that kind of responsibility.”
Kettlewell, who’s team led 2-0 against Rangers before Hamza Igamane’s second-half brace rescued a point, describes Miller’s injury as a ‘pretty significant one’ with a six-week absence the minimum that can be expected.
Rangers’ midfield in good form as Miller links continue
The midfield zone has been an area of strength for Rangers in recent weeks. Nico Raskin continued his ‘outstanding’ form against Celtic in the Old Firm derby, while Mo Diomande is keeping Connor Barron out of the XI at the moment.
Yet, former Rangers stalwart Andy Halliday is convinced Lennon Miller would walk into Clement’s team if he was to swap Fir Park for Ibrox.
Derek Ferguson does not go that far. But the two-time Scottish Premiership champion does wish Rangers had made their move long before interest emerged from south of Hadrian’s Wall.
“He was maybe sitting deeper [before]. He was a playmaker. Now, he’s getting forward, getting strikes at goal, hitting the box…,” Ferguson says.
“I’m thinking, why did we not [go for him]? He looks an athlete; big, strong.”
