LENS, FRANCE - APRIL 22: Coach of Monaco Philippe Clement answers to the media during the post-match press conference following the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between RC Lens (RCL) and AS Monaco (ASM) at Stade Bollaert-Delelis on April 22, 2023 in Lens, France. (Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
The national football association of Northern Ireland stated that Ross McCausland sustained a “knock” during his senior debut, adding to Philippe Clement’s worries about the fitness issues at Rangers.
Prior to the European qualifier against Denmark on November 20, the IFA posted an update on their website stating that the Ibrox winger is “touch and go” to join the squad due to a problem from his full debut (17 November), which ended in a 4-0 loss to Finland.
After taking over for Michael Beale, Clement referred to the lengthy injury list at Ibrox as the “biggest puzzle” he had ever faced. It is said that he has subsequently resolved the matter but has kept it within the team [Daily Record, 31 October].
But whether by sheer bad luck or a holdover from whatever was creating repeated problems for numerous members of the Light Blues playing staff, his most exciting young prospect has now picked up a problem.
The 20-year-old’s emergence as a regular in Clement’s squad has seen him make his first Rangers start and receive his first Northern Irish senior cap with the space of a week, but news of another injury worry might put a dampener on the swift progress.
With contract talks ongoing at Ibrox over his future he is also reportedly attracting attention from Premier League clubs, and sides in Europe.
Rangers supporters will be hoping McCausland’s knock is nothing serious because he has already become one of the more dynamic attacking options in Clement’s squad.
With wide men at a premium for the Belgian since Michael Beale’s summer overhaul saw Ryan Kent, Fashion Sakala and Ianis Hagi all depart in various ways the youngster’s form is all the more important.
Abdallah Sima has established himself as a near-certain starter but alternatives at winger are scarce as Rabbi Matondo can’t seem to stay fit and Scott Wright also recently ruled out with injury, himself just as he had broken out under the new manager and capped his improved form with a goal against Hearts at Hampden Park.
Clement has commented extensively on the fitness situation he inherited at Ibrox after months of constant injury problems within the squad and is sure to be unhappy that the problems apparently keep coming.
If McCausland has been hurt on international duty it would only add to a selection headache in the wide areas, and hint at Clement’s attempts to rectify the fitness problems being a work in progress still.
A first call up and cap for his country is sure to have been a boost to McCausland’s confidence, but a heavy defeat and an injury complaint won’t have been how he envisaged it going.
Either way Rangers need to keep working on a new deal as it appears attention is only increasing around him and takers are already emerging if he is allowed to leave.
But of more immediate concern to the manager will be the seemingly unending supply of fitness concerns that he is having to navigate, after similar woes contributed to the downfall of both Michael Beale and Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
