Rangers have been dealt a major blow after it was confirmed that Connor Barron and Dujon Sterling are both set for a period on the sidelines due to injury.
Barron could be out for up to three months after damaging his knee ligaments in the 2-0 win over Aberdeen at Ibrox on Tuesday night.
The 23-year-old midfielder had been in excellent form for Danny Rohl’s side over the past couple of months and his absence will be keenly felt.
Sterling, meanwhile, had only just returned to full fitness after a lengthy lay-off since last April, but a muscle problem has now ruled him out for up to three weeks.
With his team set to face Aberdeen again at Pittodrie tomorrow, Rohl lamented the bad luck which has afflicted his squad on the injury front.
‘We won the game on Tuesday, but we lost two players after this game,’ said the Ibrox boss, who confirmed he hoped to have new signings in place for the trip to Pittodrie.
Connor Barron has become a firm favourite with Rangers fans this season
The former Aberdeen man has struck up an effective midfield partnership with Nico Raskin
Dujon Sterling faces around three weeks out with what Rohl called a ‘small muscle injury’
‘Connor’s is a knee injury with the ligaments. There will be no surgery. We have to do it with an injection and then it’s about time.
‘Yeah, it’s a big loss. I think he will be out around eight to twelve weeks. We speak about March, April at the moment.
‘This is football. It’s a little bit like that since I came here, a never-ending story [with injuries].
‘Whenever you have a team together and you try to grow and give them confidence and you can make the same starting XI, then you have new injuries.
‘But I think in the last couple of weeks we did well. We always have a solution and this is again for Sunday what we have to do.
‘I think it’s also Connor’s relationship with Nico [Raskin] that was very special. When you look on the pitch, it was very fluid. They helped each other on the pitch.
‘Then in the last two games, you saw as well Dio [Mohamed Diomande], these three midfielders were very strong.
Sterling has been a major part of Rangers’ improved defensive performances of late
‘They dictate the rhythm. They won a lot of balls and this is what we of course will miss. But it’s time then for maybe other players to step in and take the responsibility.
‘With Dujon, it looks not so bad. It’s a small muscle injury. We even tried to protect him, then he got the injury again.
‘I think he could be available in two to three weeks. I think this is okay. We have the cup game [against Annan next week], then we have the Europa League game, and then after that maybe he’s back.
‘I think the good thing is Oliver [Antman] is also back on the training pitch. Let’s see if he is ready to be in the squad now. We need him in a good way. He could be back as soon as possible.
‘We bring all the players back. I think Nasser [Djiga] is back from the AFCON. This is again a lift. Injuries are never nice, but I think, especially in December and January, when you have a lot of games, then you have to accept it sometimes, even if it’s not nice.’
Sturm Graz playmaker Tochi Chukwuani is close to agreeing a £4m move to Ibrox
Chukwuani, a Danish Under-21 international, will be signed for a fee of around £4million, whilst Rommens, who has also played for Belgium at Under-21 level, is expected to join for around £3m.
Rangers are still actively looking to bolster their squad over the remainder of the January transfer window.
Asked whether the injury to Barron might influence their transfer plans, Rohl added: ‘I think we still observed the market.
‘We said this before, but now when you lose more midfielders, then you have to think about: “OK, yeah, what could be anything else on this and on top”. And this is now what we are looking for.
‘We still have Joe [Rothwell], but Joe is at the moment not in the rhythm. He is back on the training pitch. This is a good part.
‘But, yeah, when you look at the midfield, we have some good talents. They’re growing with Thelo [Aasgaard], for example, at the moment. But we need in our heart also the players that can dictate and help us.’
