Glasgow Rangers will be without another of their first-team players for tonight’s Europa League group stage game vs Real Betis, following a fresh update.
Who is injured at Rangers?
At Ibrox, Michael Beale currently has both Todd Cantwell and Danilo on the sidelines with their own respective injuries, and whilst Kieran Dowell is also out of action, the boss recently provided a positive update on his fitness.
The Light Blues manager has confirmed that the summer signing is hoping to stage his comeback during the Scottish Premiership game against Aberdeen on September 30th having made positive progress in training.
However, Nicolas Raskin is also set to be unavailable for selection having missed training on Wednesday after sustaining a suspected calf injury, via Sky Sports, which is a real shame for the central midfielder who has been impressive following his arrival at the start of the new year.
Back in January, Belgium’s youth international put pen to paper north of the border from Standard Liege and he’s since gone on to make a total of 25 appearances, though taking into consideration the next update, he’ll have to wait a little bit longer to make his 26th.
How long is Nicolas Raskin out for?
Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Beale confirmed that Raskin is ruled out of this evening’s fixture vs Manuel Pellegrini’s side but failed to specify how long for in total, whilst also delivering an update on Cantwell and Danilo. He said:
“Nico Raskin is out with a calf problem – Raskin, Cantwell and Danilo will be missing. We still have options in midfield – we are losing a good player but we have good ones coming in. Danilo has had a successful surgery on the areas impacted. He will be back in non-contact training come the end of the international break.”
What type of player is Nicolas Raskin?
Raskin is naturally a central midfielder so he is capable of making an impact at both ends of the pitch, and supporters will have seen that following his arrival at Rangers having been dubbed a “different class” in comparison to his fellow teammates by journalist Josh Bunting.
Sponsored by Adidas, the 22-year-old has been averaging 2.4 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per league game so far this season so loves to get stuck into challenges and win back possession for his team, via WhoScored, but he’s also provided two assists since joining so can get involved with the action in the final third.
Furthermore, Liege’s native is a versatile operator having been deployed in five different positions over the pitch since the start of his career, including four roles in the midfield and even out wide on the right-wing, and this is another attractive attribute that the gaffer will have to cope without.
The Teddy Bears having to enter tonight’s encounter without Raskin will definitely be a blow to Beale, but there’s no doubt that he will work hard on his recovery to ensure that he can get back on the pitch as soon as possible.