Rangers debut surely close for Robbie Fraser as Borna Barisic competition claim made
Rangers manager Philippe Clement has proven during his tenure at Ibrox that he is willing to give youth a chance.
That was evident in the recent Europa League round of 16 clash against Benfica, with the Gers leaving Portugal last Thursday (7 March) with a first leg 2-2 draw.
Young left-back Robbie Fraser made the bench at the Estadio da Luz, a sign that his first-team debut really isn’t too far away.
The Scotland Under-21 ace is yet to feature for the senior side, which is unsurprising given how Clement has both Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz to call upon in that area.
The defensive duo have been battling it out for minutes under the Belgian, but they have now been joined by Fraser, who has explained that it is indeed the Croatian who he wants to emulate at Ibrox.
Speaking to the official Rangers website (9 March), Fraser said: “I try to get better numbers in every game and improve my chance creation.
“For me, Borna is my immediate competition as he’s the next step up. I need to be looking at his contribution over the years and looking at where I excel or need to improve.”
The 20-year-old shouldn’t be too far back in Clement’s mind at this moment in time, particularly with the manager needing as many players available as possible given both the busy schedule and the worrying injury list at Ibrox.
Will Robbie Fraser get minutes for Rangers against Benfica at Ibrox?
It may even be in the return leg against Benfica on Thursday (14 March) that Clement turns to the 20-year-old, having handed fellow academy graduate Cole McKinnon his European debut in Portugal.
The winger is slightly ahead of the full-back in their development, having now made three appearances for the senior side, although McKinnon is older than Fraser.
In other Rangers news, Alfredo Morelos has sent a message to one Gers ace after what happened against Benfica.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.