The derby defeat against Celtic must have been a sickening blow for Rangers, but they made up for it off the pitch by getting Ryan Kent in towards the end of the transfer window. The intention from the club’s board and Steven Gerrard seems quite clear this time.
Injury blow to Rangers
Rangers meanwhile have been dealt with an injury blow as Jordan Jones could be out for a month (The Scottish Sun). The winger made a horror challenge on Moritz Bauer at the end of the derby, and that apparently did some damage to him. The former Kilmarnock man left Ibrox on crutches after the game. Scans revealed that its a minor medial ligament tear and its not as worse as it was initially diagnosed.
With the international break going on and Jones suspended, he was going to miss some football action. However, the winger wouldn’t be available for the Europa League clash against Feyenoord, and that might be a bit of a concern to Gerrard. But, the manager has plenty of options in the wings, especially after the last-minute addition of Kent.
End of regular game time for Jones after Kent signing?
Jones has managed to catch the eye since he joined Rangers this summer. The winger had agreed to move to Ibrox as a free agent in January so he can be termed as a smart signing. The 24-year-old played a crucial part in the Europa League qualifiers, where he was able to make a positive impact whenever he got a chance to start. It was surprising that Gerrard left him out of the eleven against Celtic as his pace and directness could have caused the opposition defenders all sorts of problems.
With Kent coming in though, Jones will probably struggle for game time. Sheyi Ojo is also a contender to start on the flanks so it remains to be seen what Gerrard’s best eleven could look like according to him. The manager had tried Kent in a central role as well last season so that might still be an option. However, the Englishman is at his best when he gets a chance to isolate fullbacks and take them on in one on one situations.
Jones is also similar in nature as he has decent pace and is always willing to take on his marker. The Northern Irishman set up what was probably the most crucial goal for Rangers so far this season as he assisted the winner against Legia Warsaw in stoppage time. A manager having a selection dilemma is considered as a good problem to have. It remains to be seen how much game time Jones would get once he recovers from his latest injury. We think that he would struggle to get starts at the Ibrox this season.
