Glasgow Rangers have been handed a boost after learning that two of their first-team stars are set to return for Thursday's game vs Aris in the Europa League.
Which Rangers players are injured?
The Ibrox outfit currently have Danilo, Todd Cantwell, Tom Lawrence and Rabbi Matondo out on the sidelines with their own respective longer-term injuries, and whilst Kieran Dowell still isn’t ready to stage his comeback to competitive action, he has returned to light training.
The Light Blues also suffered a more recent scare when Kemar Roofe was forced off the pitch during the 4-0 Viaplay Cup victory over Livingston after just 46 minutes, which saw him sent for a scan to assess the extent of the damage he sustained, but luckily, he has been passed fit and is once again ready to be involved under the lights.
In the Scottish Premiership, Nicolas Raskin is another regular feature who has been missing from the action having spent the last two weeks away from the grass with a calf problem, and the central midfielder's absence has certainly been noticed considering the positive start he’s made to the season.
The Belgium youth international has firmly established himself as the club's top-performing defensive player since the beginning of the new campaign, and luckily for supporters, the 22-year-old will be hoping to pick up where he left off following an update that will be music to the ears of everyone on the blue side of town.
Is Nicolas Raskin set to return for Rangers?
Speaking during his pre-match press conference on Wednesday, Rangers interim manager Steven Davis confirmed that Raskin is up for selection for this evening’s fixture vs Aris. As quoted by the club’s official account on X, he said:
“There is a lot of character and leaders in this dressing room. Everyone knows it is time to step up. Everyone is hurting and our focus is on getting a positive result tomorrow night. Raskin and Roofe have travelled and will be available to play part of the game.”
What type of player is Nicolas Raskin?
Whilst Raskin is naturally a central midfielder, he has been much stronger in the defensive aspect of his game so far this season, where he ranks in the 99th percentile for tackles. It will come as a massive boost for Davis and indeed Rangers to have him back at their disposal, especially given the recent departure of Michael Beale, with some solidity needed through the spine of the team in the absence of a permanent boss.
The Teddy Bears’ £6.9k-per-week earner has also recorded two assists since joining the club from Standard Liege back in January, with the impression that he’s been able to make at both ends of the pitch having seen him hailed “class” by journalist Josh Bunting.
Finally, Raskin is a versatile operator having been deployed in five various positions across the pitch since first bursting onto the professional scene, including four roles in the midfield and even out wide on the right wing, so for all of the qualities that he possesses, his return to the field will be more than welcome under the lights.
