Ryan Jack could be set for brutal exit under new Rangers manager after new development in last 24 hours
Rangers midfielder Ryan Jack has withdrawn from Steve Clarke’s latest Scotland squad in yet another new injury blow for the veteran midfielder and he could be the first out under their new potential manager.
BBC Sport reported on its website on Monday (9 October) that Jack has pulled out of Clarke’s setup ahead of their match with Spain.
The midfielder has missed Rangers’ past two matches after picking up an injury against former club Aberdeen and his worrying injury record at Ibrox will be a huge cause for concern for the club’s next managerial appointment.
The race for the Ibrox managerial hotseat has certainly been heating up over the past few days with a whole host of names in the frame to replace Beale.
AZ Alkmaar’s Pascal Jansen, Yokohama F. Marinos boss Kevin Muscat, Preston’s Ryan Lowe, Frank Lampard, Philippe Clement and Kilmarnock manager Derek McInnes have all been linked with the vacant managerial post at Ibrox.
CEO James Bisgrove and chairman John Bennett are leading the process to find Michael Beale’s successor after sacking the 43-year-old last Sunday 1 October following the defeat to Aberdeen with a decision expected towards the end of the international break [Chris Jack, 6 October].
However, whoever comes in at Ibrox could be set to make a brutal decision on Jack who could well become an unfortunate afterthought as a result of yet another new injury blow.
Throughout the change at the club during the summer, Jack has been somewhat of a mainstay in the Rangers team, going on to feature in over 30 Scottish Premiership games during Beale’s tenure [SofaScore] and making over 20 starts at the heart of the midfield but the senior star hasn’t been without his injury issues.
Jack signed a new contract at the club in May (Rangers website, 19 May) extending his stay for another year following some decent performances for the club, but with under a year remaining on his current deal, the new Rangers manager could well be planning for life without him should he remain injured one he’s appointed.
Jack has been an excellent stalwart throughout Beale’s tenure at Ibrox but he can’t be relied upon to feature every week, with the likes of John Lundstram, Jose Cifuentes and Nicolas Raskin all capable of playing his deep-lying role.
The new boss will almost certainly be backed in the January window for which he will be expected to strengthen a Rangers midfield which has largely disappointed over the last few weeks, and one area which certainly needs more engine and youthful exuberance is Jack’s defensive midfield role.
He could well be one of the first names out in January.