Ibrox View: 27y/o must recover from horror show for Rangers in clash v Motherwell
Filip Helander looks set to make his first Rangers appearance since he endured a horror show against Benfica in the Europa League last month.
The Sweden international was culpable for all three of the Lisbon side’s goals during a 3-3 in November and has not played since (via WhoScored).
Initially dropped in favour of Leon Balogun, the 27-year-old was then ruled out due to COVID-19 (via Daily Record). However, he was back on the bench in recent games against Dundee United and St Mirren, and with Balogun now a doubt after picking up a head knock on Wednesday, he could be in line for a return to the starting 11.
Helander has largely been solid in the Scottish Premiership this season, averaging 2.3 tackles, 1 interception and 2.3 clearances per game (via WhoScored). He is also usually a reliable option on the ball, completing 86.8% of the 53.9 passes he has attempted.
However, after falling out of favour and then being forced to isolate, it will be a tough ask for him to jump straight back into competitive football. Helander last played on November 17 for Sweden against France and an absence of that length will likely mean that he will take time to ramp back up to his best.
With four league matches before the end of 2020, this is a crucial period for Steven Gerrard and his team as they look to bounce back from their first defeat of the season against St Mirren. The length of Balogun’s absence is not yet known, but it appears as though Helander and Connor Goldson are Gerrard’s only fit and available centre-back options heading into the weekend.
It is not all bad though, with the Gers conceding just two goals in the league while Helander and Goldson have been paired together so far. Furthermore, they beat Saturday’s opponent Motherwell 5-1 in the reverse fixture.
Knowing how strong this Rangers side have been this season, they should be able to bounce back from Wednesday’s disappointment and the Swede can be a vital part of that, winning his place back in Gerrard’s plans in the process.
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