Rangers face new defensive crisis if Souttar, Balogun and Propper injured | OneFootball

While the prognosis is not official yet, Rangers’ latest injury to Robin Propper has been compounded by concerns over John Souttar who was seen reacting gingerly to a tackle (that he made) and stretching for the rest of the match while looking a little uncomfortable.

With Leon Balogun missing the last two with a knock sustained v Motherwell, Rangers are already down that one defender in the Nigerian – adding the Dutchman to the list not to mention the Scotland international would be nothing short of a disaster.

Rangers have three main stoppers – Balogun, Propper and Souttar and the unfancied Ben Davies is in that mix too.

That the Englishman had to be called in over the last two matches as an emergency sub for injuries shows just how thin Rangers are spread, and also how low in the pecking order the ex-Liverpool defender actually is at the club.

As things stand, Davies is the only one who (appears to be) definitely fit for the next match next weekend v Ross County who sit 8th in the table, a speck better than their lowly final position last term.

And Rangers really don’t want to be welcoming a team who have a little confidence to Hampden when we effectively have absolutely no defence.

Just like ex-manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s defensive crisis in which the Dutchman lost Connor Goldson, Filip Helander and Souttar all at the same time having already made the abysmal decision to sell Niko Katic as well leaving him with only Leon King (a rookie), James Sands (a midfielder) and Ben Davies (well short of the level needed) to call upon, Clement’s resources today may be exactly the same.

Now?

It may farcically be history repeating itself that King, Davies and now youngster Clinton Nsiala (In Sands’ place) are the only fit defenders available to the manager if midweek scans and recoveries don’t go in Rangers’ favour.

We really hope they do.

Propper hasn’t had the best start to his Ibrox career – an own goal on his debut, a rabbit-in-headlights performance in the Champions League, then an injury against Saints in the cup. Rangers do not have our issues to seek these days.

And added to Balogun and Souttar’s (potential) issues and Rangers really are rather up the creek at the back.

But we hope not.