Philippe Clement shares whether Nico Raskin will be fit for Rangers v Aberdeen in Viaplay Cup final
Rangers manager Philippe Clement says “there is a big chance” Nico Raskin will not be available for the Viaplay Cup final with Aberdeen.
Clement revealed at his pre-Hearts press conference on Tuesday (5 December) that Raskin is not as advanced in his rehab as he would have liked.
The Belgian midfielder has missed the Gers’ past seven matches with an ankle injury sustained in the 2-1 win over Hearts on 29 October.
Ryan Jack is also nursing an injury with the Hampden Park showdown against Aberdeen now less than two weeks ago.
Providing a further update to Sky Sports [5 December, 09:52], Clement said: “They’re not back for tomorrow [against Hearts]. Ryan will be the first back.”
Asked if Raskin is now likely to miss the cup final, Clement said: “I’m not 100% sure, but there is a big chance he will.
“It’s more difficult than we thought for him. But the club is working to make him fit for the rest of the season, not just the next two weeks.”
Patience
Losing Raskin to injury is a big blow, especially when Clement is already pretty light on options in that area of the field.
That said, the Gers have won five and drawn two of their seven matches that Raskin has missed in this most recent spell on the sidelines.
Tom Lawrence has dropped into a far deeper position than he is accustomed to, and that may well prove to be a smart call from Clement.
Still, the sooner Raskin – and of course Ryan Jack – get back to full fitness, the better for everyone involved.
Even without those two, the Gers should still be full of confidence heading into their upcoming games, which also includes a clash with Celtic.
As Clement says, the most important thing is the pair are not rushed back so that they can play a full part in the second half of the campaign.
In other Rangers news, Clement has opened up on talks he has held with a first-team player and his plans for January.