Rangers face captain dilemma as injury and suspension rocks squad ahead of Dundee trip
Yesterday at 08:30 AM
The Rangers captain is a role which has been poured over relentlessly in recent seasons by fans frustrated with a lack of consistent success.
Rangers are a club built on foundations of silverware but since the events of 2012, have allowed Celtic to not only catch up with the club's record but eventually usurp it.
It's heaped the pressure on captain James Tavernier, who bears the brunt of responsibility for the club's shortcomings on the pitch by virtue of wearing of the armband.
But as injury and suspension chaos rocks the Rangers team, the club are heading to Dundee without a clear candidate to lead the side out in a must-win clash at Dens Park.
Rangers leadership group rocked by injury
Nicolas Raskin has been given the Rangers captain's armband for the last two matches but will be suspended for the Scottish Premiership trip to Dundee.
The Belgian midfielder, 23, picked up his sixth booking of the season in the Old Firm victory over Celtic and as a result misses the trip to Dens Park.
The booking was a source of frustration come full-time too, with Nicolas Raskin calling out referee Don Robertson for not carding Callum McGregor.
Raskin had been handed the armband by virtue of the club's traditional leadership group being decimated by injury in the run up to the game.
James Tavernier remains out with an injury sustained against Motherwell, whilst Jack Butland is also sidelined and Leon Balogun remains an injury doubt.
If all three of these players miss the clash with Dundee, it'll raise one or two eyebrows with regards who is given the captain's armband in the City of Discovery.
Few captain candidates in Rangers squad
There a couple of candidates in the Rangers squad.
Romanian playmaker Ianis Hagi has seen a resurgence at Rangers after years of injury problems and exit speculation and is one of the club's longest-serving players.
Mohamed Diomande is also an increasingly influential player who may benefit from being given the armband even for a brief moment.
Beyond that, Robin Propper and Dujon Sterling are other candidates to take on the armband although the club are awaiting an update on the fitness of Sterling this week.
