'He's out for a long time': Former Rangers hero Malik Tillman sees dream season ruined in cruel blow
01/25/2025 05:00 AM
If any club knows how damaging an injury crisis can be for your prospects of silverware, it is the Rangers outfit limping along under Philippe Clement.
Quite literally limping along, in some cases.
With James Tavernier, John Souttar, Dujon Sterling and Neraysho Kasanwirjo all absent at times during recent weeks, Clement was forced to shift Ridvan Yilmaz across to the right while promoting Clinton Nsiala to first-team duties far earlier than expected.
Rangers have also been without Tom Lawrence, Rabbi Matondo and Danilo for long spells.
The luckless Oscar Cortes suffered yet another setback himself this month, meanwhile, even if Philippe Clement insists Rangers are still committed to a £4 million deal for the RC Lens loanee.
It is not just the current Gers crop bewitched by some sort of cruel injury curse, meanwhile, but also those who used to call Ibrox home.
- READ MORE:Rangers Players Loaned Out 2024/25
Rangers favourite Malik Tillman suffers cruel injury blow at PSV
Malik Tillman, the popular former Rangers loanee, may be facing a race against time in his attempt to play a major role in the business end of PSV Eindhoven’s domestic and European exploits.
Helping lift PSV to the summit of Dutch football and the Champions League knockout stages – Peter Bosz’s team need only a point next week to guarantee a place in the round-of-32 – the USA international could now be denied the chance to sample the fruits of his own labour.
Because, picking up what has been described as a serious ankle injury during PSV’s remarkable 5-4 Dutch Cup victory over Excelsior on January 14th, Bosz’s worst fears may be about to be confirmed.
“It needs to be investigated further,” the former Lyon, Ajax Dortmund coach sighs, Tillman set to undergo an examination and potentially surgery too over in Qatar. “He’s out for a long time.”
Exactly how long remains to be seen.
The worst-case scenario, Voetbal International say, is that Tillman could be missing for ‘several months’. Given that there are only four months of the campaign remaining, the curtain may fall very prematurely on what was becoming a coming-of-age season for a £12 million attacking midfielder introducing his game-breaking talents to a far wider audience.
Tillman had been outstanding for PSV in the Champions League
Tillman has 15 goals or assists across 2024/25. Five of those came in six Champions League appearances.
The former Rangers favourite was the driving force behind PSV’s 4-0 thrashing of Girona and, in the very next matchday, two inspired finishes helped the Dutch giants come from 2-0 down to secure a famous victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.
"I think he is a really complete player,” one-time PSV midfielder Kenneth Perez says of the German-born 22-year-old, his progress since that formative season in Glasgow nothing short of staggering.
“In terms of thinking, I think he is one of the fastest and, in terms of technique, one of the very best. Tillman almost always has a solution, and he is not slow either.”
"I think he is an incredible talent," PSV director Earnest Stewart beamed after making Tillman the club’s record signing last summer, paying Bayern £7 million more than Rangers were planning to before a permanent switch slipped through Glaswegian fingers.
"What he can do, what he sees, also his scoring ability and creativity… And what is not often noticeable, but the number of balls he recaptures on the field is truly unprecedented as an attacking player.
"Malik is really a great talent.”
Needless to say, he will be missed pretty considerably as PSV’s season enters ‘business mode’ territory.
