Rangers have been dealt a blow as an injury expert has warned not to expect one key man back in the squad for the Old Firm derby in what will come as a blow to Philippe Clement.
Ibrox showdown looms large
The Scottish Premiership is reaching its climax and either one of Rangers and Celtic could still scoop top spot come the end of the campaign. As it stands, Celtic sit top of the table, but only courtesy of Rangers’ clash with Dundee being postponed. Clement’s side have a game in hand on the Hoops and sit just a point adrift.
|
Scottish Premiership race |
||||||
|
Played |
Won |
Drawn |
Lost |
Goal Difference |
Points |
|
|
Celtic |
30 |
22 |
5 |
3 |
48 |
71 |
|
Rangers |
29 |
23 |
1 |
5 |
48 |
70 |
One side boasts the best attack in the division while the other lays claim to the best defence, and the pair are the two best sides bar none in Scotland once again. It makes their meeting at Ibrox in a fortnight even more intriguing, with whoever wins the next Old Firm derby handed a massive boost in their pursuit of silverware come the end of the campaign.
Neither side are likely to be at full strength – Celtic have concerns over centre-back Liam Scales and midfielder Reo Hatate, but there are certainly more issues on the other side of Glasgow. As it stands, Rangers are sweating on the fitness of Todd Cantwell, Ross McCausland, Kieran Dowell, Danilo, Rabbi Matondo and Abdallah Sima.
Abdallah Sima injury update
Sima is certain to miss the upcoming clash with Hibs, and now looks unlikely to return in time for Celtic, as he will not have been in full training long enough to be match fit. Sima has been missing since the middle of January with a thigh injury, but remains the club’s second top-goalscorer this season alongside Cyriel Dessers, having notched 14 goals and grabbed a further 2 assists.
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It depends if they qualify for the Champions League.
According to medical expert Dr Rajpal Brar, who weighed in on his injury situation, he would have had to returned to training by this point to have a serious chance of being in the mix for the debry.
“The key will be how he’s responding to first-team training but I would be surprised to see him not get bounce matches to build up fitness and rhythm considering how long he has been out”, he explained to Ibrox News.
“It will take multiple games for him to tolerate 90 minutes. So I think he is unlikely not just to start but also to be available for that [Celtic] game. If he’s back in full training already then it’s a possibility but that does not seem to be the case.”
The news will come as a major blow to Rangers, who would have loved to be able to call upon Sima’s services for the clash, at least from the bench. However, his eventual return will be welcome in the aftermath of the tie as they look to pip Celtic to top spot.