Gerrard admits Helander will be ‘touch and go’ for Rangers clash v Aberdeen clash
Steven Gerrard has admitted that Rangers defender Filip Helander will be “touch and go” when it comes to featuring against Aberdeen next weekend.
The centre-back has had a long absence from competitive action, and was limited to just eight Scottish Premiership appearances this season.
But the Swede did feature against Coventry City in a recent friendly, and the boss has left the door open to him getting the nod against the Dons, if he can get more minutes under his belt.
As quoted by the Daily Record, he said: “”We’re hoping to get another friendly in place for Tuesday for some of the lads who haven’t started as many games as we’d have liked during pre-season. Hopefully we can get that in place for Tuesday afternoon but we’ll see.
“One of the big reasons for trying to get a game on Tuesday is to try and add to the 30 minutes Fil got today. The idea will be, can he go for 45-60 minutes to get him in better condition and available for the Aberdeen game?
“Will he be available for the start? I think it will be touch and go.
“He’ll be fit enough in terms of the injury but it’s whether we think he’s going to be sharp enough with enough minutes in his legs to go from the start against Aberdeen.”
Having Helander back would be a major boost for the Gers.
The Swede impressed during his first season at Ibrox, but it was curtailed because of that complaint.
Even after such a limited time to prove himself, the defender has been hailed as a leader by Gerrard, and having his presence at the heart of defence can only be good thing for a side that have occasionally looked shaky in that area.
That being said, there is no point in rushing him back, and we have to trust that whatever decision Gerrard makes, it is the right one for both player and club.
In other Rangers news, Ibrox View: Solid display proves that Mayo deserves chance to replace injured defensive colleague Nikola Katic.