Danilo may have played final Rangers game under Michael Beale after injury update emerges
Danilo may have played his last game under Michael Beale after the Brazilian offered a timeline on his potential Rangers return.
Taking to Instagram (19 September), the forward shared with fans that he is on the road to recovery following his head injury sustained in the early stages of the Gers’ 2-0 victory over St Johnstone.
His social media story said: “Back home. The recovery begins. Back on the field in a few weeks,” meaning he may return to competitive action under a new manager if Beale faces an anticipated sacking.
Pressure has eased slightly on Beale. The victory at McDiarmid Park was not especially convincing, but an early goal from Danilo and a 79th-minute decider courtesy of Rabbi Matondo were enough to secure the vital three points.
However, the performance was not the decisive display that many needed to be truly reassured by Beale. Celtic’s 3-0 dismantling of Dundee showed they are in no mood to slow down meaning Rangers will keep struggling to keep up.
The hierarchy is also eyeing up alternative options in the dugout in anticipation of dropped points, with The Sun reporting (13 September) that former Chelsea boss Graham Potter rejected the club’s advances.
Elsewhere, the Gers have difficult fixtures against Real Betis, a high-flying Motherwell and Livingston may not go to plan for Beale, and any slip-up could be the final nail in his coffin.
Many have already called for Beale to be dismissed after the poor start to the season. Writing in the Scottish Mail (17 September, pages 108-109), Gary Keown said: “There are a number of things Beale deserves. The sack is one. Sympathy isn’t.”
For now, he is safe, but losing perhaps his most effective attacking summer signing to injury will make his job more difficult. Jack Butland has established himself as the Gers’ most effective summer addition, but amid the underwhelming outputs of the attacking signings, Danilo has emerged as the most impressive.
Danilo has netted three times already this season, twice in the league and once in Europe. While Cyriel Dessers has made his impact, with two goals and three assists in all competitions, Danilo has been starved of starting opportunities under Beale.
Per Transfermarkt, Danilo has played 378 minutes for the Gers this season, nearly half of Dessers’ 621. The former Feyenoord man has been awarded just four stars this season but looked set to earn more starts having been selected to start against St Johnstone.
The injury could not have come at a worse time for the boss, and his goal before his collision was a tease to Rangers fans as to what he could have brought. Beale will have to rely on his less effective attacking options but will hope they can do enough to keep him in the job until Danilo’s return.
In other Rangers news, Michael Beale must progress in Europe to help earn back the £25m lost by missing out on the Champions League