Rangers striker in “back soon” pledge after taking major step in injury recovery

Rangers striker Zak Lovelace says he hopes he’ll be “back soon” with the first-team after returning from injury with the B side.

The 18-year-old striker was one of three players who made their returns to a Rangers starting XI following injury in a B team friendly with Carlisle United.

Lovelace has been sidelined with a serious hamstring injury sustained in October during what was his first start for the first-team in the eventual 3-0 win over St Mirren.

The striker got 45 minutes in the Rangers Training Centre bounce match v Carlisle – which finished 1-1 – and Lovelace claimed afterwards that he hopes it’s the start of a more serious recovery.

Zak Lovelace eyeing Rangers return

Zak Lovelace was speaking to RangersTV after he starred for the B Team in the club’s friendly clash with Carlisle United.

Claiming that’s he’s happy with the injury progress so far, the striker has an eye on getting back up to form and fitness before returning to the club’s first team.

“I was quite happy,” said Lovelace. “David (McCallum) told me before that I’m possibility going to start.

“So I had to just get myself mentally ready to start again and kind of push on to where I was before.”

“It feels good man, not really anything has caused a problem with it.

“So, as I said before, I am just trying to get myself back to where I used to be, get myself to my sharpness.

“I still have a couple of things to iron out but I’ll be getting back soon hopefully.

”Hopefully I’ll get 60 against Dundee and then push on from there to get 90 the game after.”

Ibrox striker talks up B Team friendly

Rangers manager Philippe Clement sent several of the club’s fringe first-teamers down on B Team/Academy duty against Carlisle United.

With B Team boss David McCallum taking the team, Leon Balogun, Ben Davies, Nicolas Raskin, Leon King, Bailey Rice and Robby McCrorie all started the match.

Speaking about the experienced heads dropping down to B Team level, Zak Lovelace has suggested the entire thing was a wholly positive experience.

“It was a good game, they are a good team,” said Lovelace. “Pushed us to our limits.

“A couple of players are experienced so it helps the players to gain confidence to go against high opposition.

“There’s players that have played in different levels of different leagues and we’ve also got a couple of first-team players down with us which kind of helps everyone with our professionalism and progress.”

Rangers held off some top competition to sign Zak Lovelace from Millwall as a 16-year-old with the striker going on to make four appearances for the Ibrox top team.