Rangers: Alfredo Morelos suspension could open door for Zak Lovelace debut
Alfredo Morelos saw red for Rangers on Saturday as they drew 2-2 away at Hibernian but it might not have to be a bad thing for the club.
It will certainly leave them, with one less senior striker with a proven track record available for the upcoming domestic games but Antonio Colak has started his career in Scotland impressively.
The Croatian has kept the Colombian out of the side so far this season as Giovanni van Bronckhorst continues to leave his talismanic striker on the bench.
As long as he remains fit, Colak will continue to start but when he needs a rest late on in games, van Bronckhorst should call upon one of the club’s lesser shouted about summer signings to try and show what he can do.
16-year-old attacker Zak Lovelace joined the club from Millwall over the off-season and has taken to Scottish football like a duck to water for the Light Blues’ B team.
On Saturday, hours after the first team drew at Easter Road, the B team won 5-2 away at Dalbeattie Star in the Lowland League and they had Lovelace to thank for a lightning-quick hat-trick in the first 45 minutes.
Those three goals take his tally for the season to five goals in six games, with one assist too, and it can only be a matter of time before the Dutchman has to promote the teenager to the senior setup.
And with Morelos out of action for three matches, barring an appeal, this offers the perfect opportunity to slowly bleed him into the pressure-cooker of the Scottish Premiership rather than throw him into the deep end.
As the Colombian’s contract nears the end of its time, van Bronckhorst may be looking at the English teenager as a player who could take his place at Rangers in the very near future.
In other Rangers news, the Bears may consider appealing the decision to send John Lundstram off as van Bronckhorst scolds referee Willie Collum.