Rangers defender suffers ‘reaction’ after being rushed back amid centre-back injury crisis

Rangers manager Philippe Clement is desperate for defensive reinforcements as the heart of the Ibrox defence is ravaged by injury issues.

The Gers are waiting on a late injury check on Dujon Sterling ahead of the trip to Dundee but know they will be without several key players due to injury issues

Jack Butland and James Tavernier are still sidelined, whilst John Souttar remains out of action for the foreseeable future.

And whilst the club’s most experienced players suffer from injury issues, Philippe Clement has also revealed that Leon Balogun has suffered as a result of the club’s injury desperation

Leon Balogun suffers minor injury setback

A lack of physicality at the heart of the Rangers defence was evident as the club shipped three poor goals in the Scottish Premiership draw with Hibs

As a result, Rangers have been desperate to get Leon Balogun back to fitness with the centre-back missing since the 2-1 defeat to St Mirren.

But in the Ibrox club’s eagerness to see the 36-year-old Nigeria veteran return, the defender has suffered a setback.

”Trying to get (Leon Balogun) back he got a little bit of a reaction out of that,” Clement told the press ahead of the trip to Dens Park

He will be back in the short term but it’s not good enough to play tomorrow but he got some irritation from trying to be ready for that game.”

Rangers manager will not reveal injury timelines

The Rangers manager was also in no mood to appease suggestions the same situation might be the case with John Souttar or James Tavernier.

Ruling both players out of the Scottish Premiership visit of St Johnstone this weekend, Clement insists that both players are still on the same injury return timeline.

The Rangers manager also insists that whilst he has a date for all of his injured players to return, he will not be going public and putting his medical staff on trial.

I’ve got a date but like I said before also I don’t want to put a knife on the throat of my medical staff,” said Clement.

”If I put one date and I say to all you guys that if that date the player is not there then they are doing a bad job, it doesn’t work that way with getting players back.

”They will not be out for months. Tav will be for sure faster back than John but I don’t want to put that pressure on the medical staff.

”Of course I put pressure on them to get them back as fast as possible and we’re working altogether in the club to do that