Philippe Clement provides update on John Lundstram and Kemar Roofe ahead of Rangers v Motherwell
Rangers will be without John Lundstram and Kemar Roofe for the Christmas Eve (24 December) clash against Motherwell, Philippe Clement has confirmed.
Striker Roofe lasted only 15 minutes of his first start under Clement in the 2-0 win over St Johnstone (20 December) before suffering a fresh muscle strain, while midfielder Lundstram sustained an ankle injury in the tackle that saw Diallang Jaiyesimi sent off.
Boss Clement has been left to rue the injuries that have caused an even bigger headache ahead of the festive period with Nico Raskin, Ryan Jack and Tom Lawrence and Danilo among the absentees.
“Lundstram and Roofe are both not available for Sunday,” Clement said at a news conference in quotes reported by the Scotsman (22 December).
“To say how long is difficult for the moment, we are still waiting on results of scans. There are not a lot of options, we have to look at what is best for the team.
“It is most disappointing for Kemar (Roofe) as he is doing everything possible to avoid injuries. We are looking closely into the details to find solutions for him.”
A real worry
Rangers have been riding the crest of a wave recently, what with making the Europa League knockout stages, lifting the Viaplay Cup, and cutting the gap to leaders Celtic to tee up a huge Old Firm clash on December 30.
But amid all that, there is a real annoyance at the growing injury list, particularly the dearth of options in midfield that has led to Dujon Sterling being used in the centre of midfield recently.
Up top too Clement is short of options. With Danilo absent for a significant amount of time and Roofe just sadly not able to stay fit, he really only has Cyriel Dessers available as a central striker option.
January is, of course, just around the corner so he will be desperate to dip into the transfer market to alleviate some of the issues, but firstly Clement has to navigate his way through a hectic schedule. Let’s hope the growing injuries don’t cause too much damage.
In other Rangers news, Peterborough United are “certain” to sell on player linked with a move to Ibrox.