Rangers have been hit by a hammer blow for the new season after midfielder Nicolas Raskin was potentially ruled out for an undetermined time following a tough tackle against Ajax.

The Belgian youth international, 23, had been starting to come onto a game in recent months, with a promising end to last season, and was being pencilled in as a much more serious selection option for the new campaign, being selected as a starter by manager Philippe Clement for the first major proper friendly of the preseason v Ajax.

Unfortunately, a rash tackle on him led to a nasty ankle twist, and his leaving the ground in a leg brace and crutches, whose prognosis isn’t positive at all.

When a player finds themselves unable to walk and braced up, it usually means a matter of many many weeks into the months of being unavailable.

It almost certainly rules Raskin out of the start of the season, but the one slight silver lining is midfield is the one area of the squad Rangers are quite well equipped in.

Aside Raskin, Mohamed Diomande, Connor Barron and Dujon Sterling (if used in his best slot) are the main options in this area, even if that does only leave one sub if two are used in a pairing.

Will Raskin require replacing? In truth, yes, Rangers would prefer to have four solid choices there rather than three.

It also calls into question Raskin in general, his last season was completely disrupted by injury, missing well over 20 matches through various issues. Rangers have had enough of sicknotes as it is, and while the injury list now seems to be just Raskin, Cantwell and Tavernier, we’d still prefer it to be none.

It’s better than it was, but ultimately, it’s ‘yet another injury’.

Another piece of great news this preseason.