Borna Barisic injury news emerges with Rangers update at Auchenhowie
Borna Barisic is set to find out today whether he will be available for the Europa League clash between Rangers and Sparta Prague on 26 October, according to the Daily Record.
The newspaper shared via their website on 23 October that Rangers’ doctors will assess Barisic at Auchenhowie today when the squad arrives for training after Philippe Clement claimed the squad’s fitness is already waining.
The left-back was forced off after just 12 minutes in the 4-0 victory over Hibernian at Ibrox after clutching his left thigh, and Clement could be forced to play Dujon Sterling as a makeshift left-back in the Europa League.
Need him to be fit
Clement’s concerns over the general fitness of the squad, with a number of players injured which may now increase depending on the assessment of Barisic, should be a damning indictment of the methods of the club.
For the manager to immediately claim several of his players were struggling to last 90 minutes in the game, despite having spent the last two weeks without a game due to the international break, is a bad sign and something he will want to rectify immediately.
Barisic’s injury could provide added concern, with backup left-back Ridvan Yilmaz surprisingly left out of Michael Beale’s Europa League squad, and Clement like to be forced to use either Sterling or Adam Devine as a makeshift left full-back.
We will find out today whether Barisic will pass the fitness test, but having been subbed off early in the Hibs game, it looks unlikely he will be ready for Thursday, and the option could be used to rest him and ensure his long-term fitness lasts.
In other Rangers news, Chris Sutton named three Gers stars in his team of the week.