When Philippe Clement declared his intention to free Rangers of the injury curse that has plagued them for the past few years, he made a rod for his own back.
The manager still has a lot of work to do to achieve player availability nirvana, even though a team full of injury-prone players has been reduced.
Leon Balogun, who did not come out of the tunnel for Rangers in the second half at Old Trafford, is one player who may not be seen much for the remainder of the season.
Why Leon Balogun should be the Rangers’ last option The seasoned defender, who turns 37 this summer, has already participated in 19 games this season—too many for someone who should only be used as a “break glass in case of emergency” component of the team.
The fact that Balogun kept Robin Propper out of the starting lineup for a while speaks everything about Rangers’ summer defense-middle recruitment.
It also says a lot about Balogun’s character, abilities, and contributions to Rangers. Clement should now focus on the future because, barring a miracle, the Scottish Premiership is now all but over.
Until the end of the season, Propper or John Souttar, upon his return, can alternate with the two young defenders. Other than saying a tearful goodbye, Balogun shouldn’t have to play again unless there is an extreme lack of alternatives.
Regarding the Rangers’ injury problems, what has Clement said? After an emotional evening at Old Trafford, Clement expressed his pride—if not his frustration—with the way the evening went: “The crew was definitely on the verge of accomplishing their goal of achieving something exceptional here.
“Given the situation, the injuries, and the players we lost, I’m really impressed of the team’s performance and mindset. Eight players who could have been in our starting lineup were not available to us today. That’s a lot, then.
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