Rangers seem to be out of luck when it comes to injuries as new signing Eros Grezda was sent home by his national team, concerned about his ankle. This will come as another big blow for Steven Gerrard as he would have been looking forward to seeing his new signing in action after the break. Grezda was brought in place of left winger Jamie Murphy, who suffered a season-ending injury and now it is yet not clear when the Albanian international will be back to full fitness, to make his debut for the Gers.
Many expected Grezda to be given a run in the team after the international break but it seems like his first start of the season would have to wait. The Gers bought him for £2m from Croatian outfit Osijek. The current developments would be a major concern now as the winger hasn’t played any football since the end of the last season.
The Albanian was expected to be back to his best by the end of the last month, and that was one of the reasons why Gerrard didn’t have any qualms in shelling out £2m for his signature. But if his return continues to get delayed, the manager will have to ask questions of himself, if he did the right thing by signing a player already suffering from an injury.
The likes of Daniel Candeias and Ryan Kent have played since Jamie Murphy’s injury, but the duo has struggled to make a significant impact on the game. Gerrard would have been keen to test his newest signing and decide what his best eleven would be going in the future, after making as many as 15 signings in the summer.
The Gers have struggled to find the back of the net consistently. Their attacking outlet depends too heavily on Alfredo Morelos, and they need more contribution from their wingers and attacking midfielders.
Grezda has a history of being a decent goalscorer even though he often plays in the wide regions. The 23-year-old is also adept at playing in a more central, secondary striker role so that could be the reason why he has a reasonable goal scoring record. Down the wings, he showcases good pace, and his tricks help him get past defenders with ease. The left-footer also can put in decent crosses which the likes of Morelos and Kyle Lafferty could thrive on.
His latest injury setback will be a cause of concern, and one has to say the manager has been slightly unlucky in that regards as players like Murphy and Coulibaly, who started the season brightly, are also struggling with injuries at the moment.
Grezda was picked for his national side, which shows that he is not too far away from full fitness. Steven Gerrard will hope that he is back in action soon, to help the Gers in their fight in the Premiership.
