Rangers: ‘Real worry’ for Zak Lovelace amid Philippe Clement upset at Ibrox injury crisis
Zak Lovelace’s latest injury is a “real worry” for Rangers due to how it could affect his game, according to Derek Ferguson.
The pundit says he hated hearing the news of the youngster’s torn hamstring playing for the B team, which could see him out for another two months [Rangers Review, 9 March], having only just returned from an extended lay-off after a previous injury suffered played for the first team against St Mirren on 7 October.
And with pace a key component of how the 18-year-old plays Ferguson fears serious hamstring issues could have lasting effect.
The blow comes amid extensive injury problems throughout the Rangers squad, which manager Philippe Clement is now tipped to make a major push to improve.
He exclusively told Ibrox News: “His game is based on pace so if he’s picking up these hamstring injuries that’s a real worry. Again, he’s a talented player but it’s the fitness side of it.
“I think that’s what the manager’s going to be really big on. He’s actually been quite critical.
“He did an interview about the nick the guys are in and how there probably wasn’t enough good work done in preseason to see the boys through the course of this season.
“So I think that’s something that he’s going to rectify to make sure that’s not going to happen next season.
“So for the boy Lovelace, because I knew he’d been playing a few games in the B team and he’d been back training, but when you get that news I hate it.
“I hate when I see boys, talented boys, I’ve spoken about Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe, and now the young boy Lovelace, talented boy, but again I hope he’s not going to be injury-prone, it’s a real shame.”
Former Millwall forward hit by back-to-back injury blows at Rangers
The repeated set backs for Roofe and Jack are likely to see them both leave the club when their deals expire this summer, and early signs are increasingly concerning for Lovelace’s Rangers career.
He was in excellent form for the B team last term and has made four senior appearances already but his development has been seriously stalled this season thanks to so long out of action.
When first-team injury issues have left numbers so light for Clement it might otherwise have been a major opportunity for the teenager to get more of a run in the senior side like Ross McCausland.
But with the likes of Kieran Dowell and Tom Lawrence also having endured injury nightmares in their short times at Ibrox there is some miserable fitness luck around the club, and Lovelace’s ordeal this season is very much part of that.
In other Rangers news, one injured star could now make a return to face Celtic at Ibrox.
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