Rangers: Ben Davies misses Monday training ahead of Ajax clash
Ben Davies was absent from Monday’s (31 October) Rangers training session ahead of the visit of Ajax to Ibrox, according to the Daily Record.
The 27-year-old became the defacto senior centre-half when Connor Goldson was forced off in the Champions League against Liverpool with John Souttar and Filip Helander also out of action.
Davies has been playing alongside teenager Leon King in the heart of the defence since Goldson hobbled off but he had to go off on Saturday (29 October) against Aberdeen.
That could leave just King and American workhorse James Sands as capable central defenders if the Englishman ends up being ruled out of the Ajax game on Tuesday (1 November).
John Lundstram would usually be an option to drop back into defence but he is suspended for the final Champions League game of the season which Rangers have to win by more than five goals to reach the Europa League.
Nightmare
Giovanni van Bronckhorst is not far away from having to dust off his boots and getting registered for the team himself right now.
King has been very good when paired with an experienced man alongside him but now he has to step up and prove to be the one that can be relied upon when the big occasion occurs.
Sands is more suited to central midfield where he started against Aberdeen before having to drop back when Davies hobbled off so therefore is not really in a position to lead an entire backline.
But King has been the master of the Rangers youth sides growing up so will have genuine experience in marshalling a defence to his liking, even though it would be in front of a much smaller crowd.
van Bronckhorst will have to cross his fingers incredibly tightly that Davies can return to the fray in time to face Ajax to avoid a potentially record-breaking group stage humiliation.
In other Rangers news, this youngster is also out injured for now despite being put on an intense training programme when he first arrived.