JACK INJURY DOUBT FOR EURO CRUNCH
Rangers close in on title but Ryan may miss Antwerp tie
RANGERS last night suffered a new Europa League injury scare as Scotland midfielder Ryan Jack was added to a growing Ibrox casualty list.
Captain James Tavernier and striker Kemar Roofe face weeks on the sidelines after pulling up in last week’s 4-3 win over Royal Antwerp in Belgium.
Now Jack (inset, above left) is a major doubt for the second leg of the last-32 clash in Glasgow on Thursday after succumbing to pain after just 27 minutes of a thumping win over Dundee United.
Goals from Ianis Hagi, Ryan Kent, Joe Aribo and Alfredo Morelos propelled the runaway league leaders to an 18-point lead over Celtic — who went down 1-0 at Ross County last night — and within seven points of their first league championship title
in ten years. Although delighted by the four-goal salvo, Rangers manager Steven Gerrard faces an anxious wait for the results of a scan on Jack, who is just back in action after a two-month lay-off. ‘We’ll check it out in the next 24 hours,’ said the Ibrox boss. ‘We’ll send him for a scan. We hope he has reported the injury before it’s become a bigger problem. ‘He’s felt tightness in the calf but until we get a scan we won’t know the extent of it. ‘I’m disappointed as he’s come back from the previous injury bright. Everyone knows how important he is to us. Fingers crossed the outcome of that scan is positive.’
Cautiously hopeful that injuries to captain Tavernier and striker Roofe sustained in Belgium may be less serious than first feared, Gerrard added: ‘James and Kemar will miss the next couple of weeks but it’s difficult to put an exact date on their return.’ Delighted to see his side take another decisive step towards the title with their 15th win from 15 home games, Gerrard feared the exertions of Europe last Thursday night might catch up with his players. ‘I thought we were a bit slow out of the blocks and were second best for the first 20 to 25 minutes,’ added the Rangers manager. ‘Credit to United, they started the game very brightly and
Greegs (Allan McGregor) had to bail us out. ‘But once we settled into the game and worked a few things out, I thought we showed amazing quality to go 4-0 up. ‘For large chunks of the game I was really pleased, but the most important thing at this time of the year is results. ‘We are at the business end of the season when it is all about results and getting wins on the board. Today we showed we have quality and people were taking shots on.’ Gerrard, who gave a late debut to new defender Jack Simpson, has been reluctant to discuss winning the title — but the Liverpool legend admitted he is now finally beginning to harbour some thoughts of the finishing line. ‘I think it is normal to think, I don’t think there is any harm to think. But the one thing I won’t do is get carried away too soon. ‘We very much realise where we are and the opportunity that we have but the full focus and full attention turns to Thursday now because we want to match last season and get into the last 16 in Europe. ‘That is very important to us and then we have got a bit of a gap to Livingston away. ‘The games are there for us, the opportunity is there for us, but the big reminder to myself, the staff, players, supporters and anyone else that is covering us is that we have won nothing yet.’