By Joe Ellis

14th Nov, 2022 | 1:10pm

Rangers future in doubt for Filip Helander after source's comments

Filip Helander’s time at Rangers could well be coming to an end when his contract expires with his future currently unknown by sources close to him.

The Swedish international has recently undergone a successful surgery on a recurring knee problem that has kept him out of action all season and for much of the 2021-22 campaign.

The 29-year-old is expected to be back fit around February or March 2023 to potentially play a part for the Light Blues in the run-in to the end of the season.

But his contract at Ibrox is up in June 2023 which has thrown his future into question with no renewal of his current deal on the table right now.

“Of course, Filip’s contract is up at the end of the season so we just don’t know what the future will hold,” one source close to Helander said to the Scottish Daily Express.

Let him go

Even when all of the club’s central defenders are fit, Helander is probably fifth or sixth choice behind Connor Goldson, John Souttar, Leon King and Ben Davies with James Sands arguably ahead in the pecking order too.

The Swede would be mad to want to stay in that predicament at the stage in his career where he should be a first-team regular and making 30-plus appearances every season.

He is never going to get that at Ibrox no matter the carnage that might happen before his contract ends so there is no sense in Rangers offering him a new deal regardless of how cheap it may be.

There are plenty of central defenders out there who would love to come and play in Glasgow for one of the World’s most famous clubs even if it meant waiting in the wings at first.

The cover is there for Giovanni van Bronckhorst, or whoever the manager will be next season, so losing Helander is not something to lose sleep over.

In other Rangers news, Douglas Park is playing a waiting game with van Bronckhorst as speculation over his future ramps up.