Philippe Clement has offered an injury update for Rangers for this weekend, confirming that Ross McCausland is at best a doubt, while Dujon Sterling is highly likely to miss out.
He also revealed Abdallah Sima’s injury comeback is a little ahead of schedule but the Senegalise is a bit away from being involved in group training.
Speaking before Dundee on Sunday, Clement admitted winger McCausland wasn’t remotely fit last night, and really shouldn’t even have been on the bench, but down to bare bones on the wings the manager decided to leave him there as an emergency option he didn’t want to turn to.
He also admitted that he will not be taking any risks on Dujon Sterling (any more) having come close to admitting he got his selection of the utility man v Hibernian wrong, and will keep him out of action for the foreseeable future until he is sure the player is injury free and at no risk of further ailments.
It was effectively an admission on the manager’s part that he made an error picking him v Hibs, going for the risk and reward angle. The reward was a semi final v Hearts, the risk was losing him to injury. Paradoxically, both happened.
McCausland has been injured since that poor challenge from Dan Casey v Motherwell, and his place on the bench last night was just for morale as much as anything, with Scott Wright, unexpectedly, fit to play.
There is no news on Ryan Jack, Kieran Dowell, Danilo, Lowry or Oscar Cortes which suggests all five of them are out, and if we add McCausland, Sterling and Sima to this, 8 players are currently doubts at best for Rangers, or firmly out at worst.
It’s not ideal, but it is good to have Rabbi Matondo and Todd Cantwell back, even if both are somewhat ring-rusty. We’re not quite as effusive about Scott Wright, he’s just nowhere near Rangers level bar those curious moments where he makes Lionel Messi proud. But at least he’s an option meaning on the wings we now have Matondo, Wright and Silva, and arguably Lawrence, albeit he appears mostly to be getting used as a 10.
The best part of last night is it seems we didn’t gain any new injuries, and that’s always welcome.
So it’s more or less as we were as Sunday approaches.