Rangers record without Connor Goldson will shock Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Connor Goldson has missed 13 games at Rangers since joining in 2018, and the club’s record without the defender will likely shock fans.
Goldson pulled up injured for Rangers during the first half against Liverpool on Wednesday night. The 29-year-old was putting on a strong showing at Ibrox before he fell to the floor clutching his leg.
With an injury to his thigh, the Daily Record believe the centre-back could be out for months, leaving Giovanni van Bronckhorst thin at the back.
Ben Davies played on Wednesday and will likely be a regular for Rangers in the coming weeks, while 18-year-old Leon King came in to deputise for Goldson against Liverpool.
The talented youngster will likely be relied on a lot by Van Bronckhorst in the lead-up to the World Cup break, but a glance at Rangers’ record without Goldson suggests things might not be so bad.
As reported by Football Scotland, Goldson has missed 13 games through injury since joining Gers in 2018, and the side went on to win 11 of them – an 84.62 per cent win rate.
Considering Rangers’ win rate in the Premiership this season currently sits at 77 per cent, Goldson’s injury may not be too costly.
Lack of depth is a worry
While Goldson missing from the first team clearly hasn’t impacted Rangers too much in the past, context is important and the English defender’s absence will still be a huge blow for Van Bronckhorst.
Davies and King now represent the only two fit, natural centre-backs at the club, and that’ll be a huge worry for the Dutch manager.
Should one get injured, or have a terrible performance, Van Bronckhorst has no choice but to start plugging holes with out-of-position players.
John Lundstram has played at the back occasionally for Rangers this season, but the 28-year-old is much more useful in his preferred midfield role.
Van Bronckhorst will hope that history repeats itself and that Rangers don’t sweat over Goldson’s injury too much, but with the team in poor form and leaking goals, his injury did seem like a real stab through Rangers’ heart.
The next three matches are against Motherwell, Dundee and Livingston – all very winnable games even with a stretched squad. But one mistake from a defender could cost Gers valuable points, and that’ll still be a worry for Van Bronckhorst.
In other Rangers news, Barry Ferguson fumes at Rangers players after Liverpool defeat