Full Rangers injury update and when fans can expect to see crocked trio back in action
Yesterday at 02:10 PM
Rangers manager Philippe Clement made a pledge to rid Ibrox of the injury curse which has somewhat defined the last few seasons.
The Ibrox side have had a horrific run of injury problems over the last 36 months which have badly impacted the club's attempts at retaining a grip on Scottish Premiership dominance.
The club's dramatic issues were laid bare last season when only eight of 30 players reached Philippe Clement's 90% availability target.
It's not all been put down to bad luck either.
Philippe Clement has been left furious about the state of the Rangers medical department and has set about restarting things with a fresh approach this summer.
But is it working?
Out have gone routinely injured players like Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe, but several of the club's walking wounded remain.
Here's the injury state of play at Ibrox as things stand with three main names propping up the list.
Ridvan Yilmaz
Turkish international Ridvan Yilmaz tops the list, the 23-year-old's two-and-a-bit years in Glasgow defined by recurring injury issues.
Every time Yilmaz has begun to get a run in the Rangers first-team, he's been almost immediately pegged back.
The same thing happened this season when Yilmaz picked up a seemingly innocuous injury after taking a shot in the Champions League QR3 defeat to Dynamo Kyiv in Glasgow (13/08/24).
Going down clutching his thigh, Clement said on the 16th of August that Yilmaz was looking at four to six weeks on the sidelines.
That means he's due back anytime between the 13th and 27th of September.
Given the left-back missed this weekend's 1-0 win over Dundee United, it looks like Ridvan is looking at the back end of that prognosis.
Let's hope when Yilmaz gets fit, the left back can stay fit, with the ex-Bestikas star yet to really do enough to justify the £5m deal signed to bring him to Ibrox in 2022.
Last seen: Rangers v Dynamo Kyiv (Champions League QR3) 13/08/24
Injury type: Thigh/muscle
Matches missed: Four
Earliest predicted return date: Rangers v Hibernian (Scottish Premiership) 29/08/24
Rabbi Matondo
Rabbi Matondo is once again back injured as Rangers fan frustrations grow surrounding the winger
Another Ross Wilson signing who has spent more time on the treatment table than the pitch, the Gers have never seen enough of the talent which saw Schalke pay £11m for his services as a teenager.
Neither did the German side – hence why he ended up in Glasgow for £2.5m.
That's still a decent outlay for Rangers and, bar some moments of inspiration, Rabbi Matondo has not justified his transfer fee, wage, or profile since the Ibrox side paid it.
In the Old Firm humbling at Celtic Park, Matondo lost Alistair Johnston for the Parkhead side's opener and it's a moment of petulance which has stuck in the craw of supporters.
Later going off clutching his hamstring, plenty of Rangers fans felt the 24-year-old had chucked it.
But after pulling out of the Welsh squad during the international break, it points to a more serious condition and the winger is yet to return to the Ibrox squad.
Not included in the Ibrox club's Europa League squad either, there are fears Rabbi is out for the long haul.
The Rangers Review (05/09) then claimed that Matondo faced six to eight weeks out of action (17/10 – 31/10) in another huge Auchenhowie blow.
Philippe Clement might now feel he should've shifted the winger on in the summer.
Last seen: Celtic v Rangers (Scottish Premiership) 01/09/24
Injury type: Hamstring
Matches missed: One
Earliest predicted return date: Kilmarnock v Rangers (Scottish Premiership) 20/10/24
Danilo
The mere mention of Brazilian striker Danilo is enough to raise a collective sigh amongst any group of Rangers supporters you might encounter.
As if the club didn't need any more bad luck, after splurging £6m on the Feyenoord hitman last summer Danilo's time in Glasgow has been defined by injury problems.
Having suffered his third major injury since moving to Rangers, the Brazilian striker cannot catch a break but try play the sympathy card with frustrated Rangers fans.
Dave King reckons the club's limited resources have been splurged; Danilo currently stands as the prime example.
Having been used sparingly in the beginning of last season under Michael Beale, Danilo began to make an impression as he was introduced to the team around September.
But St Johnstone defender Liam Gordon soon put paid to that.
Crashing into Danilo and fracturing his cheekbone as the striker scored a header at McDiarmid Park, this was hurdle number one for the striker.
Hurdle number two came in the shape of a devastating knee injury in December which ruled Dani out until August.
Having been slowly worked back to fitness, Rangers fans spotted Danilo in Glasgow airport in a crutch during the most recent international break.
Philippe Clement, trying to be optimistic, told reporters that Danilo had torn a medial ligament in his knee and was somehow miraculously saved from a more serious injury due to the physio work done on the area previously.
'At least four weeks' Clement uttered on 13th September, with the same confidence exuded by his Rangers team after Daizen Maeda scored at Parkhead.
The Belgian manager then went on to explain that Danilo ruptured the ligament in a sprint.
Such a positive prognosis doesn't explain why Danilo hasn't been included in the Europa League squad this season, right enough.
Last seen: Rangers v Ross County (Scottish Premiership) 24/0824
Injury type: Medial ligament injury (knee)
Matches missed: One
Earliest predicted return date: Kilmarnock v Rangers (Scottish Premiership) 20/10/24
Honourable injury-plagued mentions
Whilst these three guys are the players currently crocked for Rangers, some other players deserve honourable mention.
Czech winger Vaclav Cerny missed the win over Dundee United due to a mystery virus but is expected to return against Dundee in the Premier Sports Cup.
Oscar Cortes also returned to the starting XI in the first half at Tannadice whilst Nicolas Raskin continued his recovery with a substitute appearance in the match following a pre-season injury.
Hamza Igamane might've impressed Rangers fans, but Philippe Clement confirmed at full-time that the striker has been nursing an injury this season.
Perennially crocked trio John Souttar, Kieran Dowell and Tom Lawrence all started the game at Dundee United and have shown positive signs that their injury problems are behind them.
It is Rangers however, so you can never be too sure!
Rangers academy talent Bailey Rice also went off injured in the Rangers B side's impressive SPFL Truth Trophy win over Fraserburgh this week.
