Jack Butland ‘set for Rangers return’ after Liam Kelly injury news
Jack Butland was dropped from Rangers’ clash with Athletic Bilbao, though he could be in line for a return to the starting 11 against Aberdeen.
Rangers put up an excellent fight against Bilbao in the Europa League, and will have it all to play for in the reverse fixture with the score level at 0-0.
Despite Robbin Propper’s early sending off, the Light Blues stood firm and kept the La Liga outfit at bay, though they mainly have Liam Kelly to thank.
His penalty save denied Bilbao an advantage at Ibrox, though he could be replaced by Butland when the Gers make the trip to Aberdeen this Sunday.
Barry Ferguson has a new injury concern to attend to
Barry Ferguson opted to drop Butland for the clash after his woeful display in their recent league defeat to Hibernian, leaving many to assume that it may stay that way for the remainder of the season.
However, according to Keith Jackson via Hotline Live (10 April), Kelly appeared to have picked up a knock towards the latter stages of the tie at Ibrox, and Ferguson may not want to take the risk ahead of the return leg in Spain.
| Kelly vs Athletic Bilbao | |
| Rating | 9.2 |
| Saves | 3 |
| Penalty Saves | 1 |
It would be a massive shame for Kelly if that proves to be the case, though it would also provide Butland with a huge opportunity to prove his worth yet again to Ferguson
Butland has provided heroics for Rangers in the past, and his short spell out of the team could be exactly what he needed to return to his best.
Rangers unlikely to take any risks against Aberdeen
Aberdeen are the opponents up next for the Light Blues, in a game that quite literally means nothing given the gap from Celtic at the top of the table.
If Rangers are to make anything out of this season, it will have to be done via the Europa League, which, in turn, may mean that Ferguson heavily rotates his team this weekend.
Any more injuries would severely hamper their chances of progressing to the semi-finals, and it doesn’t seem like it will be a risk that Ferguson wants to take.