Glasgow Rangers have not had the best of luck with regard to injuries during the current campaign as it appears Philippe Clement is having to deal with a fresh blow following every match.
During the tie against Hearts in October, Nico Raskin was substituted after suffering an injury. He was expected to be out for just a few weeks, yet his recovery hasn't been going quite to plan and he won't play until 2024 at the earliest.
Scott Wright and Tom Lawrence have also suffered injuries which will rule them out for an unspecified period of time, while Danilo is the latest player to suffer a season defining injury…
Danilo's injury blow is bad news for Rangers
The Brazilian had enjoyed a decent start to life under the Belgian tactician, scoring three times and grabbing four assists as he was staking his claim to be the main option in the number nine role.
Despite missing a few games after suffering a fractured cheekbone during a match against St Johnstone back in September, the former Feyenoord hitman had returned to full fitness, albeit wearing a mask to protect his face.
With Cyriel Dessers – who has netted just five league goals – struggling for any kind of form and Kemar Roofe going through his own fitness issues, there was a chance for Danilo to establish himself in the starting XI.
The 24-year-old started against Hearts last week and while he didn’t find the back of the net, the 1-0 win could prove crucial in the chase for the Premiership title.
Bad news was to follow after the match, however, with the 49-year-old providing an update on an injury suffered by the Brazilian.
He said: "Danilo has a problem with his knee because of a bad tackle in the game, an unlucky situation, part of football. Because of contact, he had a problem with his knee.
"The chances are he requires surgery so yes, it could be long term.”
It was confirmed that he needs surgery on the injury and will be out for around four months and this could force Clement into the transfer market for a potential replacement.
It remains to be seen how much of a budget he will have to work with next month, but the former Club Brugge coach simply cannot rely on Dessers and Roofe as his only centre-forward options for the remainder of the season.
Rangers transfer news – Lawrence Shankland
The links to the Scottish striker have stretched all the way back to January of this year, with Barry Ferguson claiming that the Light Blues would be keeping an eye on him after a solid start to his spell in Edinburgh.
In June, Michael Beale appeared to be taking a closer look at the player, yet no move ever materialised, and he ended up signing Dessers, Danilo, and Sam Lammers instead.
With the January transfer window fast approaching, Ferguson was once again suggesting Shankland would be an ideal fit for Rangers during the recent league clash between the two sides, even comparing him to a former Premier League legend, saying:
“Let’s start with Lawrence Shankland who catches my eye every time I see him play for Hearts.
“This guy has improved his game to such an extent over the last couple of years that I’m surprised he’s not been snapped up already but, watching him on Wednesday, I saw a ready made Rangers centre forward.
“I’m not exaggerating when I say his overall game reminds me of a young Teddy Sheringham. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he’s at Sheringham’s level. But he does have similar attributes in terms of game intelligence and that natural ability to drop into dangerous areas and link up with his team mates.”
His statistics since joining the Gorgie outfit have demonstrated his ruthlessness in front of goal, and he could well be worth a punt next month.
Lawrence Shankland’s statistics at Hearts
The 28-year-old joined the Jambos last summer for a modest fee of around £500k and this soon proved to be one of the bargains of the season.
The former Dundee United marksman ended the 2022/23 campaign with a total of 28 goals across all competitions for Hearts, with 24 of these coming in the Premiership.
This tally saw him finish third in the top scorers list, while he contributed 38.1% of his team's goals during the whole term and it was hardly a wonder that Rangers were looking to add him to their squad.
Despite a barren spell a few months ago, Shankland has already found the back of the net on 12 occasions this season along with registering three assists and while it is a far cry from his sensational form last year, he is still scoring regularly.
The Scot currently ranks first among the Hearts squad for goals and assists in the top flight during 2023/24 (seven), while also ranking first for scoring frequency (a goal every 206 minutes), shots on target per game (1.2) and third for successful dribbles per game (1.1), underlining his importance to the team.
He may not be the marquee name that the Ibrox faithful expect to sign, but he has proven his worth in the Premiership and there is no doubt that, with better service, he could score a lot more goals leading the line at Rangers.
4
7
1
0
1.5
1.2
9
2
0.8
1.1
It remains to be seen what sort of price the Tynecastle outfit will place on their most prized asset, but he won’t come cheap, that’s for sure.
The onus is now for Clement to ship out some deadwood during the upcoming January transfer window in order to not only reduce the wage bill but also to raise funds for any potential new signings.
"Excellent" Rangers player facing months on sidelines with injury
The Light Blues have received some nightmare news.
ByChloe ChadwickDec 14, 2023
The likes of Dessers and Lammers have failed to live up to their inflated transfer fees, and it is clear they don’t have a long-term future at Ibrox under the Belgian manager.
Moving them on for a decent fee could allow the club to go after a move for Shankland and this could certainly be a wise investment, especially considering Danilo will miss the most important part of the season.