Connor Barron: Rangers star could still realise World Cup dream after injury blow
Connor Barron of Rangers could realise his World Cup dream.
The 23-year-old was not selected in Steve Clarke’s squad for the tournament and looked set to be sat at home for the tournament.
The former Aberdeen man missed a portion of the campaign after suffering an injury against his former club, before he returned in March.
His form after his comeback was not enough to convince the Tartan Army boss that he deserved a spot in his plans.
Rangers fans would love to see Barron get a reprieve, and he may well do after Clarke’s latest comments.
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What has Steve Clarke said that could open Barron door?
Rangers ace Barron tried to prove to Clarke that he deserved to be in the squad, but he was unable to do it.
However, midfielder Billy Gilmour suffered an injury in the 4-1 win over Curacao, and it could open the door for the Gers star.
| Scotland’s midfielders at the World Cup |
| Scott McTominay |
| John McGinn |
| Ryan Christie |
| Billy Gilmour |
| Lewis Ferguson |
| Kenny McLean |
Speaking to the media after the contest, he said: “I’m 100% worried. He hurt himself in the tackle and then he made the decision he had to come off, so that tells you that he himself knew it wasn’t right.
“We’ll just have to wait and see, there’s no point in speculating or thinking the worst, let’s wait and see what the medics say.”
We regret to announce that the knee injury sustained by Billy Gilmour in today’s win over Curaçao will rule him out of participation in @FIFAWorldCup.
— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) May 30, 2026
We're all with you, Billy 💙
It turns out he was right to be worried, as Scotland later confirmed the Napoli man was out of the competition.
How has Barron performed for Rangers?
Barron’s performances for the Gers were deserving of a place in the squad for the competition in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
He made 27 appearances, notching two assists and creating five big chances for the Ibrox side, according to data from Sofascore.
The Scotsman averaged 0.7 shots and one key pass per game, while missing just one big chance for the Govan outfit.
He completed 89 per cent of his passes, particularly excelling in his own half with a 94 per cent success rate in that area of the pitch.
| Barron’s stats for Rangers | Scottish Premiership |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Assists | 2 |
| Pass accuracy | 89% |
| Tackles per game | 1.8 |
| Ball recoveries per game | 3.4 |
| Clearances per game | 1.1 |
| Ground duel success | 54% |
| Aerial duels success | 50% |
Defensively, he averaged 1.8 tackles, 3.4 ball recoveries and 1.1 clearances per game, which should have only enhanced his case.
In terms of duels, he won 54 per cent on the ground and 50 per cent that he contested in the air, once again proving to Clarke that he could do a job.
Barron’s consistency and willingness to fight for the ball would have been good attributes for the Tartan Army to have at their disposal, and maybe they will have, as Gilmour is ruled out for the tournament.
The Light Blues man will surely hope that is the case, and that Clarke doesn’t go with somebody else to fill the vacancy.
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