Rangers Face Urgent Injury Crisis Amid Transfer Hunt
Derek McInnes admits Rangers are “playing with fire” as a mounting injury crisis forces the club into an urgent hunt for reinforcements at both ends of the pitch.
The major blow is to Youssef Chermiti. The 22-year-old striker has suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in Saturday’s defeat by Hibernian, just days after Rangers knocked back a sizeable offer for the Portugal Under-21 forward, who has also attracted interest from Galatasaray.
Chermiti will now see a specialist in London, with surgery likely next week and a long spell out all but guaranteed.
“It’s really disappointing for ourselves,” McInnes said. “Selfishly, he’s a big part of what we wanted to do this season and he’s obviously a talented boy. For Youssef himself, obviously he’s very young. It’ll be difficult for him to accept and understand what’s happened to him.”
The timing is brutal, but it does at least give Rangers a small window of opportunity.
“The only saving grace from our point of view as a club is the fact it’s happened in a transfer window and we’ve got the opportunity to react to that,” McInnes added. “The plan was for Youssef to stay in. Obviously it was a big number that was reportedly bid for him. I don’t know exactly what the figure was. Obviously the club rejected that. It’s neither here nor there now, to be honest. It’s done.”
What isn’t done is the scramble to replace him. McInnes made it clear Rangers are already deep into the market for a new centre-forward.
“We are obviously looking at maybe strengthening that area of the pitch. We’re trying to be quite proactive with that and seeing what is available. Number nines are normally the most difficult ones to get.”
Defence stretched, numbers thin
Chermiti is not alone in the treatment room. Left-back Tuur Rommens has been ruled out for up to eight weeks with a groin injury, also picked up against Hibs, leaving McInnes short in an area he already viewed as vulnerable.
“Strengthening defensively and in wide areas was the priority,” he said. “We don’t have a left-footed defender in the building. We’re keen to try and get that resolved as quickly as possible.
“With the numbers we’ve got there, we are kind of playing with fire. Defensively, it’s always been a bit of a concern. I always thought we were short of numbers there.
“We all know what we need but acting really swiftly would help matters.”
That urgency is sharpened by Thursday night’s Europa League third-round qualifier at Ibrox, where Rangers must overturn a 2-1 first-leg deficit against Jagiellonia Bialystok to keep their European campaign alive.
Wingers, full-backs and a familiar face
The recruitment drive will not stop at a striker and a left-back. McInnes also wants wide players in the door, with the club’s recruitment team working to deliver before the window closes.
“We’re trying to bring wingers in,” he said. “It’s in the hands of the recruitment team to try and get that over the line. Nothing’s been finalised with anything yet.”
Brentford’s Jayden Meghoma, who impressed on loan at Ibrox last season, has been linked with a return for a second spell to plug the gap at left-back. PSV Eindhoven winger Couhaib Driouech is another name heavily touted for a permanent move.
Asked specifically about Driouech, McInnes acknowledged progress, but stopped short of declaring it done.
“We’ve been linked with a lot of players. That one’s gained a bit of momentum and we are quite far down the line with that but I don’t know where it’s at currently. All these things are still ongoing.”
Rangers now stand at a crossroads: threadbare at the back, shorn of a key striker, and facing a European tie they cannot afford to lose. How quickly they move in the market may define not just their week, but their entire season.
