Dujon Sterling has perfect chance to prove himself after Rangers transfer
Philippe Clement’s first match in charge of Rangers couldn’t have gone much better for the Belgian, with the Light Blues running out 4-0 winners over Hibernian.
The only worry for supporters inside Ibrox was the injury to Borna Barisic early in the first half that saw the Croatian substituted after only 11 minutes, with Ridvan Yilmaz offering a steady presence on the left of defence for the remainder of the clash.
But the Turkish left-back won’t be able to play in the Gers’ Europa League clash with Sparta Prague on Thursday (26 October) having been left out of Rangers’ European squad by Michael Beale earlier in the season.
There is a chance that Barisic will recover in time to play in Prague, with the Croatian international being assessed when Clement’s side return to training on Monday (Daily Record, 23 October) but should he be unavailable, the Rangers manager’s options are limited.
One man who is in the European squad and has played at left-back already this season is Dujon Sterling, who arrived at Ibrox this summer having been released by Chelsea at the conclusion of the 2022/23 campaign after spending the season on loan with Stoke City.
The 23-year-old has only played twice in the Scottish Premiership so far this season, with his only start coming against Celtic in the first Old Firm Derby of the campaign, where he was deployed by Beale on the left of defence.
Sterling was substituted not long after the hour mark in that game as he was one of many Rangers players who struggled against Brendan Rodgers’ side, winning only 44 per cent of his nine ground duels and failing to complete a single one of his three attempted dribbles [Fotmob].
Since that match on 3 September, the former Chelsea defender hasn’t played more than three minutes of a game, with his last cameo coming against Livingston in the Viaplay Cup on 27 September. There has been little to suggest that it was worthwhile signing him this summer.
But should Barisic be unable to take to the field against Sparta Prague, the 23-year-old may have the perfect chance to show that he is not only worthy of being a regular for Rangers but also impress his new boss on the European stage.
Clement has said that every player has a clean slate under his management and there won’t be a better opportunity for Sterling to make the best first impression than with a strong showing in the Europa League.
In other Rangers news, Michael Beale has deactivated his Twitter account after he doubled down that his tenure in Glasgow was a success