Rangers injury fears rise as Ibrox star misses astonishing 5-0 UEFA Nations League rout
10/16/2024 03:55 AM
When Rangers players go on international duty the Ibrox fans cross their fingers and hope they return to Glasgow injury free and ready to contribute.
Injury problems have hung over the Ibrox club for the last three seasons and even now there are a number of medical problems which are having an impact on the squad.
But as one nation close to the hearts of the Rangers support record a quite astonishing rout in the UEFA Nations League, the injury absence of one Ibrox star from the game is raising eyebrows.
Ross McCausland missing for Northern Ireland
Heading into Northern Ireland's UEFA Nations League draw with Belarus, Michael O'Neill was clear that Ross McCausland had picked up a knock.
But whilst the Rangers winger missed the trip to Eastern Europe, Ulster boss O'Neill was confident that McCausland would be fit to play Bulgaria at Windsor Park.
O'Neill's Green and White Army were preparing to welcome the Bulgarians to Belfast as the buzz began to build in a sold-out Windsor Park crowd.
But as the team sheets arrived in Northern Ireland, there was no sight of Ross McCausland with the Rangers winger's injury situation yet to be clarified.
Prior to the Belarus game, Northern Ireland's official website had claimed that McCausland had an 'injury niggle' which now appears to have kept the ex-Linfield kid out against Bulgaria.
Rangers winger's teammates record 5-0 romp
Ross McCausland would've been gutted to miss what turned out to be a legendary match too.
This youthful Northern Ireland side dismantled Bulgaria 5-0 in the nation's biggest win at Windsor Park since the days of George Best.
You have to go back to 1971 for the last time the Ulstermen won by such a convincing margin, with legendary Manchester United winger Best netting a hattrick against Cyprus.
And there was another hattrick hero on the night against the Bulgarians too, with 21-year-old Standard Liege striker Isaac Price netting three goals in a legendary victory.
Goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov scored an own goal sandwiched between two of Price's strikes in the first half, with the striker completing his hattrick nine minutes from time in the second.
Josh Magennis then put some gloss on the victory in the closing stages.
The result fires Northern Ireland to the top of UEFA Nations League C Group 3 on seven points with two games to play, above Belarus (six), Bulgaria (five) and Luxembourg (two).
Rangers winger McCausland will hope to be back in the squad for the final two matches of the tournament against Belarus (H) and Luxembourg (A) in November.
