Kieran Dowell set to return to Rangers training next week as Michael Beale drops Bailey Rice ‘Opportunity’ claim
Michael Beale has confirmed that Kieran Dowell is due to return to Rangers training next week and backed Bailey Rice to get an opportunity with Nicolas Raskin out.
The Belgian midfielder suffered a knee injury and is likely to be out until after the October international break, while Todd Cantwell and Dowell are also currently out of action.
That saw 16-year-old Rice mentioned as an alternative and speaking after the game ahead of the SPFL game with Motherwell on Sunday, the boss admitted that Rice could get an opportunity to play in the coming weeks while also sharing an update on Dowell’s availability.
“Be careful with the word special, he’s a player with a lot of potential and he’s trained with us now for a long, long time,” he said.
“He trained with us all through pre-season. I think he’s been ready for a while now to be in and around the squad, but it’s a different step to go and play in front of 50,000 and the physicality of playing with men, but he’s a player I really like.
“When we’re talking about midfield and losing Nico (Raskin), I think there’s an opportunity that could come his way.
“Also Kieran Dowell will be back with us next Wednesday or Thursday so that’s good news as well because he helps us in midfield and on the next line as well.
“So it’s a chance for people to step up and make the shirt their own.
Huge
It was huge news for Rangers when Rice recently signed a new long-term deal at Ibrox, so hearing that the management are already considering putting him in the first-team picture is big.
It will no doubt be too soon to start playing him too regularly, but some minutes and opportunities off the bench at this age will be crucial to his development and more than he could ever have dreamed of at this stage in his career.
As for Dowell, his return is a timely boost with the club suffering with injury problems right now in the final two thirds of the pitch.
Beale initially said he would be missing for three or four weeks, but he is returning to training quickly and it may be that the problem wasn’t as bad as first feared.
Having him to call upon will be big for the team as we look to get better at creating and converting chances, and a player of his quality and experience will certainly help that.
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