Stephen O'Donnell issue emerges for Motherwell ahead of Rangers showdown at Hampden

Stephen O'Donnell is now in a "race for fitness" for Motherwell ahead of their Premier Sports Cup semi-final tie against Rangers on Sunday (3 November), according to the Scottish Sun.

The newspaper reported via their print edition on 1 November (Page 54) that Lennon Miller could instead lead the Steelmen out on Sunday as first-team captain Paul McGinn is also out.

O'Donnell was chosen to captain Motherwell for their last clash against Dundee United but was forced off the pitch prematurely due to the injury that cropped up.

Speaking to the media before the clash, Stuart Kettlewell shared an update on O'Donnell's issue and what he thought about Miller captaining his team.

"I don't want to heap more pressure on Lennon but it was the easiest decision ever [to make him captain]," he said.

"It wasn't something I'd thought about because I wasn't thinking about Stephen coming off but when I knew he had an issue, it wasn't a difficult decision."

Rangers need a win against Motherwell

After the Gers' 2-1 loss to Aberdeen at Pittodrie on Wednesday (30 October), it's evident that things need to get better at Ibrox.

Philippe Clement's future has been under some major scrutiny over the last couple of weeks and if they crash out of the cup on Sunday, it could be curtains for the Belgian.

While nothing has been confirmed regarding his future just yet, fans and pundits alike all seem to be in agreeance that the best course of action would be to sack him.

However, due to the £17million in losses the Ibrox outfit have just announced for the financial year ending in June 2024, it's unclear whether Rangers could afford the £2million fee they'd have to pay the 50-year-old to relieve him of his duties.

Sunday's clash against Motherwell could well be a turning point in the Gers' season but if they end up losing, it's hard to see how John Gilligan could justify keeping Clement at the helm.

In other Rangers news, Scott McDermott has shared his sympathy for John Souttar after what he did against Aberdeen.

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