THE BRUISE BOTHERS

Gers sweating over skipper Tavernier as Europa League tie with Germans could be forced behind closed doors due to Coronavirus outbreak

RANGERS captain James Tavernier has been put in a boot in a desperate bid to try to get him fit for Thursday’s vital Europa League clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

The Ibrox medical team are now treating the captain and midfielder Ryan Jack with kid gloves to give them a fighting chance of making the first-leg of the last 16 clash with the Germans at Ibrox.

Tavernier, 28, has been struggling with a foot injury since he limped off against Hamilton last week.

The right-back then made the injury worse in training and missed the weekend win over Ross County.

Tavernier has been put in a support boot put to try and give him extra support and protection and also in an attempt to keep the swelling down.

Jack is also toiling with a knee injury that he felt ahead of Sunday’s victory in Dingwall.

Steven Gerrard admitted in the Highlands that the key pair were up against it.

He said: “There is a chance for Jack and Tav but the next couple of days are crucial.

“They both tried to make themselves available, Jack got off the bus on Saturday night and had an issue with his knee. The next couple of days are crucial with him.

“Tav tried to train on Saturday with the injury he came off the pitch with last Wednesday night and has made it worse. So he is probably a bigger doubt than Jack. I need those players available if possible.”

Rangers, who face Celtic on Sunday, already go into the tie without Jermain Defoe who has already been ruled out.

Meanwhile, calls for Rangers to play their last-16 Europa League showdown in Germany behind closed doors grew louder last night as the coronavirus plunged sport deeper into chaos.

France yesterday banned supporters from attending top-flight matches while football in Italy could be cancelled until next month with Serie A having previously made stadia a fan-free zone.

Now Rangers supporters face being locked out of the away tie against Bayer Leverkusen a week on Thursday. German health minister Jens Spahn called for any event with more than 1,000 spectators to be postponed or played behind closed doors.

IT’S A RACE AGAINST TIME James Tavernier is struggling to make Rangers’ Europa League tie on Thursday LEVERKUSEN star Leon Bailey doesn’t know much about the Rangers players but reckons the legend in the Ibrox dugout will make them a threat. The Jamaican wideman (front) grew up in Kingston as a big fan of Steven Gerrard having watched the Liverpool legend make his mark on the game. Bailey believes Gerrard will be a fountain of knowledge for his men – even if Rangers have sprung a few leaks on the home front. The winger said: “Gerrard is a legend. I admired him as a player – he was incredible. He must have gained a lot of knowledge and I’m sure he would have passed this on to the Rangers squad. “We have to be prepared for anything that they throw at us.” The Bundesliga side are flying in 2020, with just one defeat in 13 games. The Germans have £100MBAYER rated Kai Havertz hitting top form and Brazilian prodigy Paulinho is starting to dazzle. Bailey is buzzing but is still wary of the Ibrox cauldron. He said: “I don’t actually know that much about Rangers’ players but I do know they are a good team because they’ve had some excellent results. “I have heard there is a terrific atmosphere at Ibrox so it’s up to us to silence their fans as early as possible. “Kai is a phenomenal player. He’s very smart and always seems to know what he’s doing in every situation.”