Quick thinking from medic spares skipper two-month lay-off

Steven Gerrard has hailed the quick thinking of Rangers doctor Mark Waller after he spared skipper James Tavernier a potential two-month lay-off.

The right-back now only faces two weeks on the sidelines after being rushed to hospital for an operation on his appendix.

The Englishman – who has sat out just two of Gers’ 37 games so far – will be missing as the Ibrox men kick-off their William Hill Scottish Cup campaign at home to Stranraer tonight.

And he is likely to be absent for both next week’s Ladbrokes Premiership showdowns with St Mirren and Hearts.

But the captain will be back in time to lead out his team during Rangers’ gruelling February schedule – which involves seven games on the domestic and European fronts – after medic Waller spotted the danger signs after Tavernier reported stomach pains earlier this week.

Gerrard said: “We had a problem yesterday with Tav. I know there were some rumours circulating that he was going to be out for six weeks to a month – they aren’t true.

“He was totally fine in Dubai. He flew back, had a day off but then on the morning we were due to come in he felt a bit of abdominal pain. He wasn’t sure what it was, so called the doctor.

“Thankfully we’ve got one of the best docs in the business who sent him to a specialist straight away and we got to the problem pretty early.”

Gerrard has seen his casualty list grow in the last few days.

Greg Stewart is also a doubt for the Ibrox cup tie with Stevie Farrell’s League One minnows with a calf knock, while Filip Helander still faces another month out of action with his foot injury.

Top scorer Alfredo Morelos is banned for the game, while Glenn Middleton has picked up a foot injury in a reserve clash earlier this week.

The Ibrox boss also expects the pace of his squad clearout to step up this week after axing Eros Grezda and Andy King.

Greg Docherty is set to join Sunderland on loan in the coming days, while Burton Albion hope to take Jamie Murphy for the rest of the season.

He said: “There was a few things bubbling away with Glenn, so (his injury) may or may not put the people we were in contact with off.

“There is a real serious club in for Docherty. Negotiations are ongoing but it’s getting closer and closer.”

James Tavernier had an appendix operation.