Kieran Dowell can step up under Philippe Clement after another Rangers injury blow
Rangers had a mixed time of it against St Johnstone, where they picked up three points thanks to their 2-0 victory.
Cyriel Dessers and James Tavernier grabbed the goals in the Scottish Premiership encounter at Ibrox on Wednesday (20 December).
The important win means Philippe Clement’s side are now just two points behind fierce rivals Celtic in the league table, with a game in hand.
But it wasn’t an entirely satisfactory night for the Belgian, who lost striker Kemar Roofe after just 16 minutes due to injury.
And that certainly wasn’t the end of the manager’s woes, with midfield ace John Lundstram taken off at half time after being on the receiving end of a red-card challenge from St Johnstone’s Diallang Jaiyesimi.
Fortunately, his fellow midfielder Kieran Dowell is now back on the pitch after his lengthy injury struggles, and the former Norwich City man certainly didn’t disappoint in his first start under Clement.
He played the entire 90 minutes at Ibrox, and looks certain to be in for plenty of football due to the injury to Lundstram, with fellow midfielders Ryan Jack and Jose Cifuentes also out injured.
Dowell definitely caught the eye against the Saints, with BBC Sport journalist Andy Campbell (20 December) naming him as the Player of the Match, while the official Rangers website (20 December) reported on Dowell’s “solid performance.”
Rangers still have three matches to come before the year is brought to an end, one of which is a huge clash against Celtic, with tests against Motherwell and Ross County also on the agenda.
Dowell will be tasked with stepping up in the absence of his midfield teammates, but that is a feat he is more than capable of accomplishing.
In other Rangers news, Todd Cantwell sent a four-word message to one of his teammates after their Viaplay Cup final win against Aberdeen.