Rangers: Long Abdallah Sima injury absence announced amid Ibrox crisis for Philippe Clement with Danilo and Kemar Roofe out
Abdallah Sima is the latest Rangers forward to suffer from injury after his absence for Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations was explained.
The on loan Brighton attacker’s international manager Aliou Cisse revealed that the reason the 22-year-old had not even been named on the bench for their 3-1 victory over Cameroon on Friday (19 January) was that he had picked up a problem, having been an unused substitute in their opening win over The Gambia on 14 January.
Cisse said, via the Daily Record (20 January): “Abdallah Sima was unavailable because he had some discomfort in the adductor muscles of the hip. He will be assessed in the coming days.”
Sima is set to miss at least the next two SPFL fixtures against Hibs and St Mirren after Senegal’s qualification from the AFCON group stage, and dependent on further progress or his fitness could be out for longer.
It was then announced by the Senegalese Football Federation, via The Star Kenya journalist Eric Njiru (20 January), that Sima picked up a thigh injury in training on Wednesday which the SFF said means a “long period of unavailability” for the Ibrox star, who has now been sent back to Glasgow at the direction of the club for “optimal treatment”.
Endless
This outcome is just about the exact one that Light Blues fans and staff would have been dreading when Sima flew out, and for it to have come without him playing a minute for his country is all the more excruciating.
The number of injury issues repeatedly afflicting the Rangers squad shows no sign of letting up whether players are in Scotland or on a different continent.
Philippe Clement is already without Danilo for virtually the rest of the season [Football Scotland, 20 January], while Kemar Roofe has only been fit enough to start six games this season, just in terms of the attacking areas.
Sima’s 15 goals so far this term have marked him out as crucial going forward, so the boss at Ibrox would have wanted him back as soon as possible, and able to play when he returns.
Clement made clear his bemusement at the constant cycle of injuries in his squad upon arrival but so far hasn’t been able to oversee a change in fortunes.
Options are looking light in attacking areas with Sima away on international duty, Danilo and Roofe out, and Sam Lammers allowed to leave on loan this month for FC Utrecht.
Fabio Silva has arrived on loan from Wolves but Cyriel Dessers is currently the only fit central striker so Rangers could really do with some further reinforcements before the transfer window shuts.
The hope has to be that the prognosis proves to be better once Sima arrives back at the club and the “long period of unavailability” doesn’t knock him out for a substantial part of the rest of the season.
In other Rangers news, an Athletic journalist believes it would be “no surprise at all” if the “best finisher” a club has ends up at Ibrox.
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