DALY INJURY BLOW
Ibrox striker out for six weeks after operation
JON DALY has been denied the chance to scrap with new signings Kenny Miller and Kris Boyd for a place in the Rangers strikeforce that starts the season after being ruled out for six weeks. Daly skipped the club’s Highland tour to have a scan on his left knee and a cartilage tear detected means the 31-year-old forward will undergo surgery in the next few days.
The Irishman, who scored 25 goals in his first season at Ibrox, is sure to miss the Championship kick-off against Hearts on August 9 and potentially other early fixtures of a vital campaign for the club.
‘Jon needs an op on his knee,’ reported manager Ally McCoist at his squad’s Brora training camp.
‘It’s nothing major. But he will be out for the best part of five or six weeks. The cartilage will need trimmed, so that’s a bit of a blow.
‘It backs up what I’ve been saying about needing to get players in. We had four strikers for the start of the season and, straight away, it’s down to three.’
Daly, who suffered two long-term cruciate-ligament injuries in his right knee at Dundee United, faces stiffer competition for a place in the Rangers team this season on account of the additions of old Ibrox double act Boyd and Miller.
But McCoist stressed that the stricken Irishman should not become the forgotten man of his forward line, despite his pre-season setback. The manager also confirmed he would resist the temptation to use him as a centre- half — a role he played occasionally at Tannadice.
‘Kenny and Boydy have taken up a lot of attention. We’ve signed two big names and that’s great,’ added McCoist.
‘But Jon scored 25 goals last season and played a very important part in the league success. Obviously, we are looking for Nicky Clark to kick on, too.
‘We’re looking for a contribution from all of them and I don’t want anyone to forget about Jon and Nicky.’
The spotlight will be on returning hero Boyd today, though, if McCoist (right) decides to pitch him in against Highland League champions Brora Rangers.
Boyd underwent surgery on an ankle problem at the end of a prolific campaign with Kilmarnock and has been eased back to fitness since signing a one-year contract at Ibrox.
‘We gave Boyd a good session today and we’ll see how he is in the morning,’ said McCoist, whose side beat Buckie Thistle 3-0 on Thursday.
‘It would be good to give him 45 minutes. It was a good test the other night, competitive. That’s one of the reasons we travelled north because we want this kind of challenge so early in pre-season.
‘I think it will stand us
in
Miller and Boyd have had a lot of attention but don’t forget about Jon and Nicky Clark
good stead for what is ahead of us.’
Lewis Macleod was also absent from the Buckie test, as two-goal Calum Gallagher and Miller eased Rangers to a victorious start to their pre-season.
And there will be few happier team-mates to see Macleod back in action than his flatmate, Fraser Aird.
Macleod, 20, missed the second half of the League One title triumph when suffering damage to muscles around his heart after a virus in January.
The Scotland Under-21 midfielder’s health scare gave the player but he has now been given the all-clear to return to action.
‘Tell any player they are going to be out for four or five months and they’ll be disappointed,’ said Aird.
‘But not being able to train was quite a downer for Lewis. I tried to do what I could to keep his spirits up. We share a flat. He is probably my best mate at the club.
‘Obviously, I hope he will be back playing as soon as possible. He has had a good couple of weeks with the physios and been training with the first team.
‘Hopefully, he will get back to fitness and match sharpness, then I’m sure he’ll play because he’s one of the best up-and-coming players in the land.’
Aird, who played in friendlies for Canada Under-20s in May, has yet to decide whether to commit himself to an international career to the country of his birth or that of his Scottish parents.
Family ties will, in the meantime, ensure plenty of support for the final leg of Rangers’ tour of North America.
McCoist’s squad travel to the west coast of the United States next weekend to start a fortnight of pre-season action that also takes in two games in Canada — against Victoria Highlanders then Ottowa Fury on July 23,.
‘Ottowa is only a three or four-hour drive from my house, so my family will be there,’ said Aird. ‘I’ll get time with them and they can see me playing for Rangers in Canada for the first time, which will be nice.’
The 19-year-old added 35 appearances and seven goals last term to a progressive Rangers profile that began with a surprise breakthrough season midway through the Third Division title run. Now, he is one step away from playing top-flight football for Rangers.
‘When we were in the Third Division, a lot of boys were thinking this was going to be a long way back,’ said Aird. ‘But the two years have flown by. ‘Hopefully, we can have another good league campaign and get Rangers back to where they are supposed to be and that would be a great achievement.
‘To run out at Ibrox back in the top flight would be a dream come true. But we have a huge job to do before we can think of getting back to the Premiership.’