Rangers forward Oscar Cortes will be sidelined for approximately a month after suffering a knee injury, which will see him miss crucial Champions League qualifiers and several domestic matches.
The Colombia international had to be substituted early in the second half of Rangers’ Premiership opener against Hearts on Saturday. The Ibrox club had been awaiting news on the extent of his injury, which was confirmed ahead of their Champions League qualifier against Dinamo Kyiv.
Manager Philippe Clement revealed the timeline for Cortes’ recovery, stating, “He will be out for 4-5 weeks.”
Explaining the nature of the injury, Clement said, “It was an unlucky fall that caused the knee injury. He will be an important player in the future for this club, and it is a blow, but this is part of football for every club.”
Despite the setback, Clement remains optimistic about Cortes’ recovery. “We need to focus on a fast rehab. The quality in our rehab is better than last season, so we know he will come back even better.”
Cortes’ four-week absence means he will miss both legs of the Champions League tie against Dinamo Kyiv and potentially the play-off round against FC Twente or Red Bull Salzburg if Rangers advance.
Domestically, he will be unavailable for the League Cup match against St Johnstone and Premiership fixtures against Motherwell, Ross County, and Celtic.